


Descent

by jacobmybeloved



Series: Far Cry: New Dawn [3]
Category: Far Cry 5, Far Cry: New Dawn
Genre: F/M, FCND, Far Cry 5 AU, Far Cry New Dawn - Freeform, Far Cry New Dawn AU, Post-Far Cry 5, Post-Far Cry New Dawn, far cry 5 - Freeform, original storyline featuring canon characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-03
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2020-04-23 10:02:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 25
Words: 52,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19148803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jacobmybeloved/pseuds/jacobmybeloved
Summary: Six years have passed since the Twins Mickey and Lou were defeated by the survivors of Hope County. In addition, Joseph Seed's influence over the Seed and Lamb family has finally perished, allowing the family to move forward with their lives. For six years the Seed-Lamb family lived in bliss until death's sudden presence snatches away one of their own. The suddenness of this loss leaves the remaining members shaken and at each other's throats. After one such confrontation, Mai Takoda Seed, daughter of the infamous Jacob Seed and former junior deputy Nayeli Lamb, leaves in hopes that the loss of her loved one will be alleviated. What she comes to find though is a new adversary, one looking to snatch away everything she had ever worked for.





	1. Cast

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sure you guys are sick of me by now but this was an idea I've been kicking around even before I started Ghost's so I'm super excited to be sharing it with you now ^^
> 
> This is a direct sequel to my FCND AU fic "Ghosts" so I would definitely recommend reading that first (and possibly Ghost's prequel Mirage because I like to make things complicated ^^') because a lot of this probably won't make sense without the context of those two stories.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!

 

  
[ ](https://imgur.com/AFElCul)

**CAST:**  
[ ](https://imgur.com/I0oqv1Q)  
[ ](https://imgur.com/fl1e28v)  
[ ](https://imgur.com/0FEwoCf)  
[ ](https://imgur.com/NM61Ra1)  
  
[ ](https://imgur.com/7IQAJRV)


	2. Chapter 2

1 year after The Highwaymen’s defeat. 

“Ouch.”

The older man cringed as his beloved stitched up his wound, shaking her head while contradictorily cracking a wide smile. They sat in the confines of their designated bedroom within the walls of Prosperity, also known as John Seed’s repurposed ranch. It had taken a while, but Nayeli was finally able to enter the building without her mind drifting to what John had done to her so many years ago. She would spite him by making this place one of love and community. A place where she and her lover Jacob Seed could raise their son and watch over their daughter in peace.

“I told you not to instigate the wolverine.” Nayeli Lamb mused as she finished the last bit before knotting off the suture. She finished it off by dabbing it with a cloth lightly soaked in alcohol, again, causing the Seed man to cringe.

As she began to clean up, he hung his head low, “I don’t know how you’ve put up with me for this long.”

With her back turned she responded, “I believe that was in our wedding vows. Keeping you alive when you’re acting like a brave idiot.” she giggled before turning back to him.

Her grin softened to a concerned look. Jacob moved from the foot of their bed to standing over the makeshift crib that held the tiny life form that they called son. The baby was sound asleep, hiding away the same crisp shade of blue as his father. With his eyes closed, he was the splitting image of Nayeli, dark curls laced across his head and his skin a beautiful inbetween of russet and tan. 

“Is this how Mai looked when she was born?” he asked her, his eyes still fixated on the tiny bundle

Nayeli approached him, placing a hand along the small of his back. She did not respond only because he knew what she would say. Jacob Seed was a complicated man to say the least, but if there was one thing that was sure about him, it was that he loved his family more than anything else. To miss out on the first few years of his daughter’s life had left a hollow feeling in his heart. Combined with the year and a half she went missing following her kidnapping...well, that kind of time lost that could never be made up. Since Malik was born, there was not a single hour where Jacob was not by his son’s side, ensuring no one would ever tear him from their family. But he and Nayeli knew there was one thing that could: time itself.

“I’ll never see him grow old.” Jacob murmured as he ran his finger along one of Malik’s curls.

Nayeli felt her eyes burning as she shot a look at him. Age had caught up to the wolf within the last six years. His hair had lost most of its fire, his eyes softened, a result of an unconditional love he had never known before, but also exhausted from every single event he had to endure during his lifetime. Nayeli rose her hand to his chin, grasping it gently as she turned his head to her. Upon seeing her he immediately grasped her face between his hands, planting his lips on hers in the same manner they had the first time he came to her on that fateful night in the remnants of her childhood home. The night where he realized his love for her. They pulled apart but kept their lips close enough that the bristles of his mustache and beard still trickled along her skin.

“Jacob...my beloved…” she cooed, “Don’t set your mind on what will happen. Just be here with us. Here and now.”

Jacob relinquished his dark thoughts as he sighed, a soft smile encompassing his face as he traced his fingers along the sharp line of her jaw.

“You’re my dream come true.” he hummed as he kissed her again then paused to see her reaction.

Her eyes squinted, her smile was so wide. With a slight giggle, she wrapped her arms around his neck, their eyes meeting, “And what else?”

His love and adoration flowed from his smile as he rested his forehead against hers, “My one and only you.”

\-----

6 years later.

Bullets fired like they were hot in production, whizzing by the figure masked, and cladded, in black from head to toe. Maneuvering through the Alcatraz prison had been a lot more difficult than initially anticipated by the young thief. There was no real place to hide once spotted, and the sound of their footsteps trampling against the mental floors gave way to their position no matter which way they turned. Hopping onto the railing of the second floor, the mysterious figure lept upwards, grabbing the next railing of the next floor above.

“Roger, where’s that chopper at?” they whined as they looked for a way to escape that was not through twenty Highwaymen.

“Give me one second, mon ami,” Roger’s voice crackled through on her radio, “These Highwaymen are all over me and _Patate_. I don’t see anywhere to land.”

The figure spotted a perfect opportunity to slip out from the bode of the prison a moment later. Once again standing on the railing, they grasped onto some piping that stuck out, hoisting themselves up through a hole in the prison’s ceiling, “Don’t worry about landing,” they grunted, squeezing through the hole.

As they head poked through, they surveyed the rooftop. There was a sniper to the furthest east corner and three Highwaymen elites scattered about. They were too preoccupied trying to hit the circling chopper to focus on them.

“Roger, swing the heli by the northwest corner. I’ll do the rest of the work.”

The individual, known as the Coyote to the highwaymen due to their usual stealth like nature, reached for their holstered knife, taking advantage of the oblivious Highwaymen. They made quick work of the first two, their knife finding its way into their jugular. The third elite stood on the edge of the rooftop, standing in their way. They could hear the helicopter fast approaching meaning they had to hurry the fuck up otherwise they’d be swarmed in no time. The Highwayman raised their weapon ready to fire but the Coyote bolted faster than they could pull the trigger. They plunged their shoulder into their chest, both of them clearing the edge of the roof. At the last possible moment, Roger Cadoret came through with La Grosse Patate hovering just above them. The Coyote shot their hand out, grasping the railing, clutching onto it. Their grip was a bit weak due to carrying some extra baggage though. Looking down, they saw the Highwayman they had just knocked off the roof clinging onto their ankle. 

_Fucking hell._

They raised their free foot and began kicking the helmeted Highwayman repeatedly until finally they released their grip, falling to a watery grave in the shark infested waters that they soared over. Mission accomplished. The figure pulled themselves into the passenger seat of the helicopter, removing their mask, a wild cascade of red locks befalling their shoulders. Mai Takoda Seed looked over to Roger, a satisfied grin on her face. Roger shared her enthusiasm as they high fived one another.

“Well done my friend!” he cheered into his headset, “We showed them who’s boss didn’t we?”

Mai had already begun rummaging through her pack, eager to see exactly what she had snagged. Copper, coils, a jug of gasoline, and some important looking papers she hoped would give them some introspect into Highwaymen plans or movements.

It was a few hours before they returned home. Honestly, there was nothing better than returning to Prosperity after a successful raid. As soon as Prosperity came into view from inside the helicopter, she felt an ease that could only be described as the same feeling when you’re caught in a deep sleep. The last six years had been kind to her family: Her mother gave birth to their newest addition, giving Mai a baby brother. Her father finally got to hang up his weapons, spending his days looking after his family and utterly relishing in it. 

Mai would cherish those images of seeing her father lifting her brother Malik in the air, both of them laughing joyously as her mother watched. She would never admit out loud the jealousy she felt for the time Malik got to spend with their father. Her early childhood had been robbed by her uncle, Joseph Seed. The madman who had predicted the end of the world and had inadvertently set the stepping stones for her mother and father to fall in love. Perhaps she should just consider herself grateful to have spent any time with him at all. 

It had been three months since his passing and all members of the united Seed and Lamb family were feeling the effects of his absence. Her mother had split up half her of her time in doting on Malik and the other half going on hunting trips all throughout the valley for days at a time. For Mai, against her mother’s will, she had taken up hitting Highwaymen posts all over the country with Roger and _La Grosse Patate_. Malik was probably handling it the best out of all three of them. Following the initial month, the little boy spent his time collecting samples of leaves and flowers, keeping them pressed between the pages of an old journal Mai had found on one of her scavenger hunts. What troubled her was his insistence that their father had taken on the form of some of the many animals that would come near Prosperity’s walls. Checking in on the family he would say.

Mai always ensured to bring back a little something for him to try and take his mind off their father’s permanent absence. Unfortunately, this last trip was a bit unplanned so she had not been able to snatch anything up for him. No, this last trip she had done out of spite. Her mother reamed her following their previous venture when Mai returned with a nearly decapitated arm. Whatever power flowed in her veins following the consumption of the Fruit of Eden had healed her in a manner of weeks, but that did not stop her mother from absolutely flipping her lid. The fact that she was suddenly babying her was out of character for her.

Her mother had planned to be gone for a few days, traversing past what remained of the Whitetail mountains to hunt for monstrous grizzly bear hides. Nothing kept you warmer than one of those bad boys and with winter close approaching, they needed all the skins they could get. This worked to Mai’s and Roger’s advantage, using her mother’s time away to sneak out of Hope County and back before she’d even catch on. The rest of Prosperity chose to not get involved in the tension between the two, instead of keeping to themselves. 

Most of the original inhabitants had moved on. The Rye family returned to their family home, setting up a sanctuary for those who were just passing through but needed a place to rest. Her aunt Vittoria ventured out to gather the remaining survivors of New Eden, hoping to build the settlement back up under the same ideals albeit a bit more progressive and accepting. Of course her uncle Sharky followed suit. Everyone else, Hurk, Gina, Blade, and even Auntie Grace went their own ways, wanting to see the world before another apocalypse occurred.

Mai’s family had talked about rebuilding their family home but with her father’s age they decided against it. Besides, Nayeli was the new de facto leader now that Kim had left. Prosperity would crumble without her support. As the helipad came into view, so did one overly enthusiastic boy, watching from the balcony of the explosives lab. His hair was a mop of brown, lush waves, his skin close in comparison to their mother’s but his eyes a piercing shade of blue like their fathers. This was Malik Thomas Seed’s favorite spot for whenever he heard the blades of Roger’s helicopter approaching. With him was their resident doctor, Selene, pointing in equal excitement. Upon seeing the young doctor, Roger gave his companion a sardonic grin. 

“Does she know yet?” Roger spoke over the headset speaker, lowering the aircraft down to the helipad.

 

Mai groaned as she sank back into her seat, looking wholeheartedly embarrassed, “Does she know that the one night stand was a one night stand? Doubt it.”

Mai propped her door open, taking one step down as the blades began to slow. Glancing up, she saw Malik, having darted down from the balcony, already making his way towards her.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Mai charged forward, scooping him up in her arms, “What did I tell you about running near the helicopter.”

Malik too overjoyed at seeing his sister simply smiled, “What did you bring me?”

“Let’s see, I brought you…” Mai’s tone was playful, as she suddenly tipped him upside down, “Monster kisses!”

She pecked his cheek repeatedly as he squirmed in her arms, screaming and laughing. Many would note the stark difference in Mai’s personality from the time she and her family ended the Twin’s Highwaymen threat to this current moment. Malik’s birth had softened her which she saw as both a blessing and a curse. He was precious in the utter most sense of the word. He knew not the horrible things she had seen or done. He only saw her as his one and only sister. His protector much like his parents were. To Mai, though, he was another person she was terrified to lose. Another weakness. An exploit. It did not dampen her love for him, but it did make her terrified. As they began to come right-side up, she saw feet approaching, hot and fast. Mai placed Malik down, both of them looking to the woman who now stood before them.

“Hey mom.” Mai spoke without an ounce of confidence.

Her mother’s lips were drawn in, probably holding back a multitude of words that she could not use in front of Malik. Malik did not seem to notice as he approached her, also excited to see she had returned. Nayeli knelt over picking him up, continuing her eye contact with Mai.

“I take it my words mean nothing to you.” Nayeli spoke harshly. 

Mai and her mother rarely got into arguments. In fact, she could not think of a single time they had ever been at each other's throats. The shift had occurred right after her father’s death. Like somehow, he had had been the invisible glue that kept them together but it should not have been. Long before she ever knew him as her father, her mother had been her rock. Her one constant showering her in unconditional love. This was all just stress. She knew that. Her mother knew that. Yet both were too stubborn to come down from their high horse and frankly, today was not the day to trifle with the Seed woman. Mai was exhausted, and all she wanted was to unload their supplies spend time with her brother but if her mother wanted to argue...

“How is what I’m doing any different than you?” Mai shot back, “You go out for these hunting trips for days. You don’t think Malik and I worry about you?”

“I’m not traveling halfway across the country risking my life for supplies we can find just as easily here.” her mother barked back.

“Mom.” She stated exasperatedly. She was trying to keep her cool considering Malik was watching but it was growing difficult with every passing second, “The Highwaymen nearly bled us dry. We can’t rely on Hope County to have untapped resources forever.”

“Do you remember what happened last time?” her mother’s face began to shift to a darker shade of red with each word spat, “I thought I had nearly lost you.”

“You know full well I can handle myself.” Mai retorted, “Why are you making such a scene?”

“I am just trying to protect you.” Nayeli shouted in return.

Mai clenched her fists, her mother’s words echoing another person’s from so long ago. Her mind drifted to the boy she knew as Ethan Seed, how Joseph had said those same exact words. A secondary wave of anger washed over Mai as she tried to shake the troubling memory from her mind. 

She continued to stare into her mother’s harsh gaze before responding, “What I do is not up to you.”

“Evidently so.” Nayeli responded looking to Malik, her tone changing dramatically to a softer, kinder tone, “Let’s get you ready for supper, hmm?”

“But I want to hang out with Mai.” He whined as his mother took him away.

Mai watched in frustration as the two disappeared into the main building. Puckering her lips, she turned to Roger who seemed to be doing his best to avoid getting dragged into the tension.

“I’ll unload the supplies. You get the heli ready.”

“Quoi? Another expedition so soon.“ Roger questioned, seeing clear as day what Mai was attempting to do, “Mon ami, you must understand some of her frustration. She just lost your father.”

“She’s not the only one who lost him though.” Mai snapped, immediately feeling horrible for doing so, “I’m sorry.” she apologized, “But she’s not the only one.”

Roger pursed his lips inward, nodding in acknowledgment, “C’est bon.”

Mai looked back to the main building, feeling a knot forming in her chest. This felt a lot like running away from the issue at hand, but if she stayed here, the tension between herself and her mother may just just cause her to self-combust. She was doing this for both their sakes. At least, that’s what she wanted to tell herself. That’s what she had to tell herself.

By the time the helicopter was prepped and loaded, she had still not seen any sign of her mother or Malik. Both Roger and Mai searched the compound. More than anything Mai wanted to tell Malik she would be back in a few days, but she figured her mother must have taken him down to the river so he could collect more specimens for his journal and to cool herself off mentally. Mai could not wait any longer though. Just standing there in the open courtyard made her anxious not knowing what to say to her mother if she did see her.

No, it was best to just go.


	3. Chapter 3

Sometime later.

Hardly any time had passed before they were airborne. As Roger piloted, Mai fiddled with a map she had stolen from the last Highwaymen outpost they had hit, found among other documents. It was particularly useful, marking strongholds and check points across the entire country. Now instead of going in blindly, they could plan accordingly. There was one location on the map that stood out, near the southern coast of the United States. Each stronghold had its own insignia etched over it, be it an abstract symbol or a vague interpretation of an animal. This one had two: a black bird, presumably a crow or raven, and a crown etched over it’s head. There was also a red circle encompassing the area, making Mai wonder if there was some underlying meaning to it.

“I think we found our next target.” Mai spoke enthusiastically as she gave Roger the coordinates.

For a majority of the flight, Mai and Roger sat in silence, partially because Mai passed out two hours into the flight. Mai was not entirely sure how long she was asleep for when she felt a sudden shift in her stomach when you felt like you were quickly descending. She opened her eyes, seeing Roger’s hands moving rapidly as he began switching every which control. There was a subtle banging noise behind her, though when she looked about the helicopter cabin, she could not see the source.

“What is that noise?” she asked half-sleepily.

“Beats me, but that’s what I intend to find out.” Roger replied as he brought the helicopter in for a landing, “Chanceux pour nous, we are arrived at our destination.”

Mai didn’t even realize they were here already. There was a fog that encompassed them, so thick she could hardly see fifty feet in front of her. Judging from the strange shape of the foliage, they must be in the right spot. Most of the area seemed dense with trees, it was a miracle they had found a clear landing space so they could investigate the strange noise. Deboarding the aircraft, she and Roger approached the hull of the helicopter, the noise seemingly coming from the cargo door.

Mai reached her her beloved knife, motioning with her head for Roger to open the latch. Hesitantly, Roger stood by, twisting the lock mechanic and lifting the door up. Mai had figured a critter must have snuck in; as winter enclosed on them, they had to often check Prosperity’s vehicles to make sure there was none hiding tucked in by the tires or engine so she would not be surprised to find something stuffed in here unwillingly. Once the door was completely open, something did tumble out, though not anywhere close to what Mai had anticipated.

The small human tumbled to the floor, coughing, brown ringlets bouncing as they shook their head to get a sense of where they were. Mai sheathed her knife, and immediately began to panic.

“Malik Thomas Seed, what the ever loving...what do you think you’re doing!”

The boy looked up, attempting to wipe off the dirt that now adorned his clothes and face, albeit making it worse. You would have expected him to look frightened by the tone of her voice, but he met her back with equal ferocity.

“You left without saying goodbye!” he shouted, wiping his nose with his sleeve, obviously crying for a good amount of time, “Dad didn’t say goodbye either.”

His outburst caught Mai off guard, his words jabbing at her heart. She wanted to lecture him, to tell him how what he did was irresponsible, how he could have suffocated in the cargo had they got anywhere else further. Instead she knelt down, gesturing for him to come to her. The little boy trotted over, throwing his arms around her neck as she hoisted him up into her arms.

“I’m so sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you.” 

She began to brush his soaked hair away from his face as he continued to wipe his snot away with his sleeve. Since his birth, Mai had been so protective of Malik, much like the rest of her family. No one wanted to say it, but they wanted to ensure he avoided the traumatic childhood that Mai had endured. That his parents had endured. One may argue they babied him too much, but Mai made a promise to protect him. To save him from the fate that seemed to befall the rest of the men in her family. Particularly the one Seed that she could not save.

“You could have really hurt yourself, do you understand?” she tried to emphasize as he tucked his face into the nape of her neck.

She looked to Roger who too looked apologetic, “I’m sorry Mai, I should have triple checked the cargo before we left.”

“It’s not anyone’s fault.” Mai assured him.

They sat there silent as they waited for Malik to calm down. Mai placed him into one of the backseats of the helicopter, strapping him in. _Well this trip was definitely cut short._ Mai attempted to tighten the restraints, but Malik’s form was so tiny he would slip out with any sudden movement. They would just have to take it nice and slow. She could not imagine the fit her mother was throwing right now, unable to find Malik anywhere in Prosperity. Afterall, her family had quite the history of being kidnapped, going missing and being nearly killed. Mai would prefer if Malik did not become an add on to that statistic. 

“Mai.” Roger’s voice rose from behind her as she continued to fiddle with Malik’s seat belt.

“What is it Roger?” she replied.

“We may have a problème.”

Mai turned around to inspect exactly what the issue was. At first she saw no problem: the fog was beginning to clear, though the sky was still dark and ominous. Dark clouds hung around like vultures waiting to descend down upon them, and she did notice a sudden pick up in the wind. Upon further inspection, she could hear the distant rumbling of thunder, a strike of lightning suddenly piercing through the sky. The incoming storm was not what worried her though. It was what was forming in the middle of it that did.

“Roger…” she spoke cautiously as she came to stand by her friends side, “What is that?”

At the center of the cluster of clouds, a funnel had began to form, faster than Mai could comprehend as to what was happening. She felt Roger’s hands on her, hurrying her to get back into the passenger's seat of the helicopter. 

“That is a tornado.” Roger responded, pushing her into the passenger seat. Mai’s brows scrunched together and Roger ran around the front, hopping into the pilot’s chair.

“A thorn what?” she spoke quizzically.

“Something we do not want to stick around for.” he urged as he began fiddling with the switches on the console.

Mai could hear Malik in the back, _whoaing_ at the spectacular yet frightening sight. The young woman herself was at a loss for words. She did not know how else to describe it. You could physically see the wind whirling, picking up dirt and other debris, adding to it’s girth as it approached on the horizon. Though still quite a ways off, Roger was in an anxious state, attempting to get the helicopter started up. If Mai counted correctly on their many ventures, it took about six minutes for everything to come to life. Enough time for the whirling storm to inch closer. It was only moments later the ferocity of the winds began to rock the helicopter in place. 

“Mai.” Malik’s voice shook with concern, “I’m scared.”

The eldest of the Seed siblings turned around in her seat as the helicopter began its initial, albeit, very shakily so. She reached her hand out to him, grasping his tiny hand within hers. His hand may have been occupied but his eyes were darting all around as the trees around them began to quiver under the force of the storm.

“Malik, hey, look at me.” Mai tried to coax him into calming down, “It’s okay, it’s okay. Look at me. I’m right here. It’s okay.”

As the helicopter began to elevate high above the treeline, the more violent it’s jerking motions became, “Hold onto something.” Roger shouted as the screaming wind pierced through their ears. 

Mai turned her head back to the main window, her eye’s widening as the spinning cyclone encroached upon them. The closer it got, the more Roger struggled with the controls of the helicopter, working against mother nature itself was not such an easy feat, especially if she was trying to kill you.

“Roger, get us out of here!” Mai shouted, her heart sinking to the balls of her heels. 

The sudden combination of her screaming and the screeching wind caused Malik to withdraw his hand from Mai’s, bringing his palms up to his ears in an attempt to drone out the painful sound. He began fidgeting, “I want to sit with you.” he cried. 

Mai looked back to him as he began to fumble with his fastenings. The older sister’s eyes widened as she undid her own belt, squeezing herself between the two front seats in an attempt to get into the back.

“Malik, keep your seat belt on!” 

Just as she forced her body into the backseat, a frightening loud sound that could only be described as debris hitting the helicopter caused her to gasp. _La Grosse Patate,_ began to spin violently, Roger in the front growled and shouted in either frustration or utter feet as their surroundings became one muddied blur.

“Merde,” he hollered, “I’m losing her!”

Another collision with debris sent the helicopter seemingly hurtling into the cyclone itself, the aircraft’s emergency lights and corresponding noises erupting violently inside the cabin. Malik’s cries were loud enough to rival the screaming winds as he clutched onto his now loosened seat belt, half his body hanging out of the helicopter itself. Mai herself was holding onto the back of the passenger seat headrest as she reached her hand out, attempting to snatch Malik back into the helicopter. His face was scrunched up, hysterical, mumbling incoherent words.

“Malik give me your hand!” she shouted knowing fully well the next thing they hit would send him careening out of _Patate_.

The storm seemed aware of this, determined to tear another part of Mai’s family away from her just as others had tried and nearly succeeded to do. Something must have hit them from below because the helicopter flipped forward suddenly, sending all sense of direction out the window. Time slowed down for the instant as Mai saw Malik’s hands release from the belt, his body slipping out of the helicopter. She did not hesitate for one moment. Just as she had back on the island of Alcatraz, she threw her body forward tumbling out of the helicopter. Barely, she snatched Malik by the very brim of his sweater’s sleeve, her other hand clutching onto the helicopters railing. One jerk in the wrong direction and one or both of them would up as minced meat, the continuous throttling getting them uncomfortably close to the blades above.

Mai gritted her teeth as she fought against the pulling winds, trying to haul Malik back up. Her fingers began to cramp as they struggled to keep a secure grip. She knew not what Roger’s predicament was upfront, or if perhaps he too had been thrown from the cockpit. What she did know was that she could not hold on forever. Her fingers began to slip from the railing, her nails digging into the metal. She could swear that her nails would rip off at any second, but better to be left a few less body parts than without her brother. 

“Mai.” her brother’s voice was as clear as day.

The older Seed looked down, seeing the last thing she would have wanted. The material of his sweater began to tear, bit by bit. 

“No, no, no.” she whined as she looked to the cabin of the helicopter then back down to him.

She was met by the eyes of a ghost. Her father’s eyes trapped in the body of the young boy. The fabric tore like wet paper under all the strain, a quick and sudden gasp escaping her brother’s lips as he disappeared into the cyclones void. Mai felt the vibrations of her screams leave her body but she could not hear it. No, all she could hear was the continuous noise of thunder surrounding them, the storm preparing for it’s crescendo. A flash of light struck the helicopter startling her igniting a spark of flames. Lightning. The suddenness of the strike caused her to release her hold, joining her brother in the void of the cyclone.

If there was one thing Mai regretted as she flailed through the air, it would be that she could never crack a joke about flying coyotes, reminiscent of the remark _when pigs fly_. Thomas Rush always told her she needed to work on her humor afterall. Perhaps she could deliver the punchline to her brother and the rest of her family in the afterlife.


	4. Chapter 4

“The reports we got said the helicopter was seen two kilometers from here. Right at the epicenter of the tornado.” a man spoke from under his gas mask and heavy raincoat as he and two others wearing similar items traversed through the swamps landscape.

It was near pitch black outside with heavy rain and storm clouds above. Bacteria ran amuck in these swamps following a storm, explaining the trio's use of gas masks even if it did inhibit their vision, especially in this darkness. The only light they could rely on came from their flashlights, illuminating the way only a few feet at a time.

“Those poor souls.” a woman responded next, “They never stood a chance.”

The third member of the party, however, knew better than to give up hope just yet, “We don’t know that yet. There could still be survivors. Come on. We need to hurry before the Highwaymen snatch them up or worse.”

Thomas Rush had spent the last six months here in Louisiana attempting to help it’s inhabitants create self-sustaining settlements. He had had success in other states prior over the last six years. After assisting those in Hope County, Montana, he traversed south with those who accompanied him, slowly working their way east. The Highwaymen threat in Hope County may have been dealt with, and their leaders' food for the flies, but the rest of them across the country had factioned off into smaller, splinter cells. Nowhere near were they as powerful as the Twin’s forces in Hope County but they were equally annoying when stumbled across. The Louisiana chapter, however, seemed to be the exception. They were more organized, more willing to take people alive for their own sick purposes, which was why they had to recover whatever, or whoever was in that crash. 

As they neared the crash, they killed the lights, huddling close together in the foliage as they surveyed the area. It appeared they were already too late. Highwaymen were already upon the helicopter like vultures, the headlights from their vehicles acting as a spotlight. Thomas’ brows scrunched together. It appeared they were dragging a man out from the cockpit. From this distance in combination with the pouring rain, he could not see too much about the man himself. Only that he was alive as he kicked and yelled while the Highwaymen dragged him to their vehicle.

“Shit. What do we do?” the woman asked.

Thomas’ first instinct was to obviously rescue the man, but he and his small team of two were outgunned and outnumbered. To intervene would mean suicide. His mind was still heavy with the loss experienced entering Hope County. All those people depending on him, only for the Highwaymen to pick them off. The two with him were only mere settlers, they’d stand no chance in a firefight. 

“Nothing we can do right now.” Rush responded, “We return to Le rêve.” he said, referring to the name of the settlement from which they came, “See how everyone is holding up now that the storm is moving away. Then we can figure out what we can do.”

The others nodded in silent agreement as they swiftly moved away from the crash site. An hour into their journey they were about a quarter of the way back to the settlement when something other than rain and thunder drew their attention. Rustling in the trees. 

“What was that?” the man asked worriedly as he flashed his light into the dense leaves.

The sound occurred again. Whatever it was, it was circulating around them and had them in its sights.

“Eyes up.” Thomas ordered, raising his assault rifle to the treeline, his back to the others.

A sudden grunt and then two thuds later forced Thomas to look behind him, seeing his cohorts on the ground, no sign of what took them down. The blood from his face drained from under his mask as he ran to their side. He placed his gun on the ground, checking both of their pulses. Still breathing and beating. Only knocked unconscious. 

Hearing the faint sound of leaves rustling once more, Thomas drew his weapon, whirling around, his light landing dead on what had knocked out his comrades. There was a person dressed head to toe in black, a balaclava with mesh covering their eyes, keeping every detail about them a secret.

The masked figure moved swiftly, jumping down from the tree. They must have seen him retrieve his weapon, instantly marking him as the most imminent threat. Before he could raise his weapon, the figure grabbed him by his raincoat, hurdling him a good ten feet. Thomas scrambled to her feet, grasping for his pocket knife. As the other figure approached, they two drew a knife and shortly after, the two fighters became entangled as blades began to fly in every which way. Every slashing movement he attempted to make, the masked figure would deflect with the blade of their own. He did manage to get one blow in, slashing through the person's balaclava near their cheek. The person grunted, recoiling for just a moment, allowing him to disarm them of their knife. While Thomas composed himself, hoping to find a way out of this without killing, his opponent saw an opening: the figure slammed their fist suddenly straight into Rush’s face, knocking him clear on his back. Thomas groaned, grasping his nose. He had never met anyone as fast as this person was. At least, other than…

The person seemed to be nursing their wound, seemingly growing frustrated before yanking their mask off. It may have been the darkest night Thomas had ever experienced but a flash of lightning illuminated the unmasked figure. Their hair was damp and clumped but still long enough to make it clear past their shoulders. The color of their hair was indistinguishable due to the wetness, though it’d put money on it being some sort of reddish brown. They had a face that was faintly mannish in certain aspects but also feminine. They were attractive in a way that their features were chiseled out of stone. As they turned his head to him, another flash roared through the sky above. That’s when he saw the eyes: One hazel. One blue. It was unmistakable.

“Mai.” he choked under his breath as she began to storm towards him.

“Wait-wait-!” His voice was muffled from under the gas mask and the sound of pouring rain. He wondered if she had heard him at all. 

Thomas raised his hands defensively as he scrambled back along the ground, the young woman continued her approach. She snatched her knife up from where it had landed when he disarmed her. Thomas backed up until his body came to halt against the trunk of a tree. She flipped her knife, holding the blade on her palm as she readied the hilt to incapacitate him just as she had his cohorts. He had seen Mainon the front lines. Thomas had seen her fire a sniper, an assault rifle, handle that knife he gifted her in her hand like her fingers were performing in a ballet, carving up her enemies like it was art. His hands reached up to his mask and hood of his coat, pulling it back until his face was revealed. 

“Mai, it’s me.” He spoke calm but loud, hiding the fact that he was, in no other words to say, quite close to shitting his pants.

She paused midstep, immediately sheathing her knife once she realized his identity. Her hands rose up to her mouth, seemingly trapped in a state of disbelief. Her lips began to quiver as she lowered her hands.

“Thomas?” her voice cracked, losing all sense of the ferocity she had displayed moments prior. 

Rush pushed himself up against the tree, getting to his feet. He could not fathom any possible reason for her being here. From the look on her face, she had not anticipated whatever events had led her here either. Her face contorted, scrunching up as she began to weep for whatever reason resided in her heart. Surely the fact that she had nearly killed her friend warranted the way she was sobbing. Rush quickly closed the gap between them. She was a lot taller from the last time he had seen her. When he left, she was maybe an half-an-inch shorter than him. Now she stood at clearly three inches above him, inheriting her father’s height. Despite this, he reached his hands up, placing them on her shoulders as he brought her into an embrace. Her arms hesitantly hovered over him until she knew for sure that he was real.

“Oh my god.” She whimpered, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.”

He placed a hand gently on the back of her head, rocking her gently, “It’s okay captain. It’s okay.”


	5. Chapter 5

The Louisiana Highwaymen headquarters was bustling as usual. After that storm that had just hit, they had multiple scouting parties returning, each one being various goods and materials from settlements that were forced to abandon to other areas for safety. Word was spreading quickly of a downed helicopter that scavenger group Echo had come across. Fortune seemed to be in the Highwaymen’s favor: the pilot of the chopper had also survived which meant they now add a welcome addition to their fleet and did not have to worry about training.

Everyone else was ecstatic but for Dayana “Dove” King, it just meant she had another aircraft to fix on top of all of her other duties. Her mother, Ramona King, worked her tirelessly. They were short on girls in the brothel and in their live performances which meant ethanol and other supplies were not coming in abundance as usual, and now that they were essentially at war with every other Highwayman splinter group, it meant vehicles were being lost as a faster rate then they could be replaced. Suffice to say, things were stressful around here, and Dove was not sure just how much more she could take, let alone the people outside these walls; without the proper supplies that they needed to survive, let alone continue working, there would either be a riot or a massacre on their hands that they could not afford to have.

Dove appeared to have already been beaten by her mother in terms of checking on their newest prisoner. Her mother’s back was turned to her as she approached, essentially blocking her view. She could however see two other Highwaymen occupying his cell, doing what they did best: beating information out of any prisoners that came through here. Hearing her daughter’s approach, Ramona “Raven” King turned around, a dissatisfied look on her face. Her mother was an intimidatingly beautiful woman. She easily dwarfed her more petite daughter, standing tall and proud, brown eyes that could tear you to shreds easily if she willed it so. 

“Took you long enough.” her mother huffed.

“Apologies mother, I was finishing entertaining a _patron_.” Dove spoke sheepishly, adjusting her disarrayed clothing.

What she would not give to talk back to her mother, for just once in her life. She knew as soon as she did though, her mother would have no qualms about feeding her to her babies, as did to her cousins, Mickey and Lou.

“Well finish them off a little faster next time.” her mother huffed as she turned back around facing the prisoner’s cage, “I have a new job for you.”

Dove mocked her mother by moving her mouth obnoxiously but quickly stopped as she came around Raven’s side, seeing the prisoner for herself. She stopped dead in her tracks. Her mother snapped her fingers, calling off her goons. The two Highwaymen left the cage, leaving the found helicopter groaning in pain on the floor. His glasses were smashed to oblivion, and his face marred with bruising and various cuts, dry blood creeping down from his hairline. Roger Cadoret looked just as she had remembered. The last image she had of him was sitting in Prosperity. He had just offered her some sort of french pastry as Mai, her parents and Thomas Rush were going to go on a scavenging run, just before Dove betrayed them to the Twins.

She wanted to withdraw into herself. To just get sucked into a vortex, something so that she would not have to face one of the many people she had sold out. Roger slowly picked himself back up, leaning against the bars furthest away from them. If he recognized her, he made no such gesture. He spat out a wad of blood as he glared at the two silently.

“I want you and our newest guest to get that helicopter we scavenged back in tip top shape.” her mother declared, “The storm may have scared off the rats for now…” she sneered, referring to the rival Highwaymen, “...but they’ll be back soon enough.”

Dove wanted to throw up right then and there, knowing there was no way out of this situation. Roger would never cooperate. He would not listen to her, not after what she did..and because of that, because of his foreseeable insubordination, he would be executed. Footsteps approaching from behind them, fast paced, hurried. Raven and Dove turned to see a third Highwayman, now standing at attention.

“Our scouts found another survivor two clicks from the crash site. A boy.” they declared, “He’s in bad shape but Doc thinks he’ll survive.”

Raven’s brow raised, curiously, “A boy?” Raven looked to their captive in the cage, a renewed, malicious smile on her face, “I suppose we should go pay this boy a visit.” she mused, trying to rile up Roger, her attempt to see if there was any connection between the two. 

Roger gave her so such clues, staring blankly at her as he nursed his wounds. Either he had no idea who this boy was or he was very good at hiding it. Either way, her mother grew bored, snapping her fingers, signaling for the other goons to stand attentively. She eyed Dove one last time before marking her leave.

“Get that helicopter operating, and you’ll be off _entertainment_ duty.” she spoke as if she was offering some sort of kindness to her own flesh and blood.

Dove could only nod her head in submission as she watched her mother walked away. She bit her tongue, as she’s foot shook violently, waiting for the queen to be out of ear shot. Once she was certain she was just she and Roger, she turned and looked to him. He was already grasping the bars closest to her, staring directly at his former friend. 

“Mai told me you were dead.” He spoke bluntly.

Dove cocked her head, then rolled her eyes. Of course Mai was still kicking. Dove had assumed, when she marched into that victory dinner six years ago at the derby, the Highwaymen leaders and the Twins would have done he in immediately. When she looked to Roger, she noticed him staring at her mechanical arm and leg. She immediately felt a tidal wave of self-consciousness. For some clients, the mechanical aspects of her body were the selling point for them. For others it was a complete turn off. Struggling to push down any fondness she held for Roger all those years ago, she tried to not let his stares get the better of her.

“What happened?” he spoke suddenly, a tinge of sympathy glossed over with contempt.

She tried to not feel like some freak standing before him as she glanced down to her most recent upgrade. It was fully functionable unlike previous versions, but it still made her stand out like a sore thumb. She recalled how Mai stood over her following their grand stunt in an attempt to take down the Beef Bruiser at the derby race. Dove had miscalculated just how long it would have taken her to get out of the vehicle and how far she had to be from the explosion. She remembered Mai standing over her, unable to hear what words escaped her mouth, the sound of the explosion having deafened her temporarily. And then she left.

Dove had laid there for hours before help finally arrived, shocked to see she was still alive by some of her mother’s sympathizers whom she used to keep tabs on the Twins. They had to amputate her leg from the knee down, and the entirety of her arm. It was not long before she was transported south to make a fully recovery. To answer Roger’s question though...

“Your friend Mai happened.” Dove responded, shrugging, “She leaves destruction everywhere she goes doesn’t she. That’s why the Twins wanted her gone.”

“And you attempted to help them do just that. Incroyable.” he scoffed.

“You think I had a choice?” Dove fired back, furious that she had to defend herself, “I’m not a fighter. I’m not anything. I was just doing what I needed to do to survive. I never wanted anyone to get hurt.”

Roger’s face scrunched up into a frown as he retreated to the back of his cage, “Intentional or not, you did hurt people chère. Me included.” 

Dove was at a loss as to what to say. She knew her actions were wrong. That she had betrayed their trust and that it would never be gained back. This however was the only life she knew. She had no one to turn to like Mai did. No loving parents or close friends. Everyone saw her as weak and that was all she would ever be. Seeing as there was nothing else to be said, she decided it was best to just leave and begin tending to the helicopter herself. Before she could move a muscle however, Roger spoke up.

“That woman mentioned a boy was found. Do you know anything about that?”

She raised a brow at him curious as to why he was interested, “No idea.” but she now she wanted to find out, “Why?”

Roger seemed hesitant, his lips pulling inward as he looked about, debating with himself, “I came here with Mai. Her brother snuck aboard the helicopter. We were separated during the storm.” he explained, “If you want my forgiveness, you’ll find out if that is her brother and find a way to get him and me out of here.”

To hear that Mai was here, in this state, in this very geographical area made her nerves run cold. She was torn between wanting to repay Mai for leaving her to die on the derby track but also petrified of being carved up just as she carved up many a Highwaymen. From the way Roger spoke though, it seemed as though he did not know where Mai was.  
“Do you not know where Mai ended up?” she asked.

He shook his head, “I wish I did. Then I wouldn’t have to rely on you.”

_Ouch._ Dove tried to hide her hurt, but her stomach twisted into a ball until she could no longer stand there anymore. 

“You know you can’t get out of here without La Grosse Patate right?” she said with a hint of triumph, finding a hole in his plan. 

It seemed he did not think about that factor, as the realization settled into his face. Dove would take this small victory for what it was worth.

“I’ll see what I can find out. In the meantime, you need to cooperate. If you want any chance of getting out of here, we need to get that helicopter back up and running or you’ll end up just like the Twins.” she asserted.

Roger blinked a few times, a lump forming in his throat no doubt. Mai and her people may have a semblance of mercy, allowing Mickey and Lou to live despite all the horrendous actions they did. But here, in this kingdom, there was only one rule to abide by:

Don’t fuck with the Queen.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep trying to adhere to posting chapters once every other week but I'm getting confused between this one and my Sharky fic so I'm just going to post as I finish :))))) which also means slight delays but what else is new from me lmaoo

Mai was absolutely frantic that she had just attempted to murder her best friend that she had not seen in ages. Thomas Rush held her close to himself until she was able to calm down. The two friends knew not what to say to each other at first, but they had no issue sitting in silence for the meantime. When his companions came to, and after a long-winded explanation of how Thomas and their initial enemy knew each other, they began their journey back to their settlement, Le rêve, also known as the dream. The settlement itself was still a work in progress but what they had accomplished in the last six months was marveling. The settlement homes were situated up in the trees, walkways, and bridges connecting each one to another. This way, when rainwater came through just as it had, they would not have to worry about their homes being swept away. It was like a child’s dream, a bunch of tree houses creating some sort of miniature city.

The only way up was to ascend using ropes that those on guard duty would throw over, meaning unless you were adaptable at climbing trees, there was no way you were getting up here. From a defense standpoint, they had the advantage. When Highwaymen did come their way, they were forced to navigate the dense trees and inability to navigate the swamp grounds while also aiming up top. Thomas had Mai settle in for the meantime in the main hall, draping her with a blanket and providing her with freshly made soup, courtesy of one of the other settlers. She had been through the wringer, explaining how she had come here following an argument with her mother, hoping to raid some more Highwaymen outposts alongside the French-Canadian pilot, Roger Cadoret whom he knew briefly during his time in Prosperity. They were caught in the storm, separated from one another. She was fortunate enough to land in some vines, keeping her from colliding with swamp waters or any other hard surface. She had spotted Thomas and his comrades not too long after and began following them, hoping to get answers out of them. Thomas, in turn, noted how he saw some Highwaymen taking away a man from a helicopter crash, no doubt the missing Roger Cadoret. He knew that Mai would want to go out and search for him as soon as possible, but he knew she needed rest and a decent meal first. Mai stared at the liquidy substance, stirring it as her eyes glanced around the room. He could tell that she felt uneasy. Like a dog or other domesticated animal in a stranger's home. A fish out of water.

“I don’t think they like me very much.” she muttered, her eyes staring off to another area of the room.

Thomas followed her line of sight, seeing his two comrades from earlier enjoying their own bowl of soup while also shooting both curious, and scornful looks at her. Thomas chuckled as he sat beside her.

“You did knock their lights out. Not the greatest first impression.”

Mai smiled with her eyes before finally taking a sip of the soup, “I’m sorry about your friends. I’m also sorry about hitting you in the face.”

“I’m sorry for cutting your cheek.” Thomas retorted.

The two smiled at one another before she took another sip of her soup. Now that her hair was drying, the red locks he was so familiar with began to shine through. She was every bit the same Mai he had said goodbye to six years ago, albeit a lot more grown up. He did not mean mentality wise. From the time he met her as a teenager, she was already twenty times more mature than any man or woman he had served with. No, instead her roundish features that were associated with adolescence had faded. There was not a part of her face that had no looked like it had been carefully crafted with care, sharpened enough that when he looked at her, he could not help but feel...conflicted. He watched as she devoured the soup, hungrily, specks of soup decorating the outermost corner of her lip.

Without thinking, Rush extended his hand, wiping it off with his finger, gently tugging her lip incidentally as he did so. Her luxuriant lips parted slightly as she looked at him with those eyes, unlike anything he had ever seen before. Thomas could feel his face warming and he could see the blush forming on her own face. The two smiled awkwardly before hanging their heads down looking anywhere that was not into each other's eyes. Thomas had no idea what had come over him. This was his friend, his former captain. What was this feeling that was suddenly boiling inside him upon seeing her again?

Clearing his throat, he attempted to shift his sudden burst of feelings, “So you and your mom aren’t on the best of terms at the moment I take it. What about your father, how is he doing?”

As if Mai’s face was not solemn enough in that moment, her head sunk lower, her chin nearly touching her chest. He felt a lump forming in his throat, recognizing that perhaps this was a sore topic.

“He passed away a few months ago.” Mai responded, “Died in his sleep.”

 _Way to go Rush._

Rush ran his fingers through his hair, brows raised with a look of utter disbelief and regret for asking, “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

He wrapped an arm around her as she tried to fight back her tears, “I only knew him briefly, but he was a good man.”

Mai nodded her head in agreement, “My Aunt Vittoria likes to say that death had to take him in his sleep because if he had been awake there would have been a fight.” she smiled weakly.

She looked up to the ceiling, gliding her fingers under the ducts of her eyes, wiping away any tears that threatened to fall, proceeding to shake her head, “I can’t just sit here.” she spoke more so to herself than to him, “I have to find Roger, and I have to find Malik.”

“Malik?” Thomas asked curiously.

He felt foolish but the mention of a stranger’s name panged him with a bit of jealousy. _Get a hold of yourself man._ Mai, oblivious to his inner struggle continued to speak.

“Malik, my brother.” She then began to smile as she looked upon his face, “Sorry, it both feels like an eternity, but also feels just like yesterday I saw you. You probably don’t even remember that my mother was pregnant when you left.”

The missing pieces began to click together. He remembered now. Following the Twin’s defeat, Prosperity had thrown a party, celebrating multiple occasions. Mai’s birthday, and Nayeli’s newly announced pregnancy. 

“Malik,” Thomas spoke, “That’s a beautiful name.”

Mai began to smile, “Malik Thomas Seed. We wanted to have just a little piece of you to remember by.”

Thomas blinked, his lips curling upward, astonished that they would incorporate his own name into their family, “I- I don’t know what to say.” 

Mai reached out, clutching his hand as they had always done before. Even if they said nothing, just holding hands said more than all they needed to ever say. Just this once though, Mai made had to make sure that they were on the same page.

“Tell me you’ll help me find them.” her voice held a sense of desperation he was not familiar with, especially coming from her. 

Nevertheless, he took her hand, raising it to her lips as he kissed the back of her hand, his way of reassuring her on top of what he was about to say. His words flowed effortlessly and for a moment, he swore they were back in Hope County for just a moment. He smiled mischievously, lowering her hand. 

“You know I’ll always follow your lead, O’ captain, my captain.”

Mai narrowed her eyes at him but could not contain her burgeoning smile, “You fucking nerd.” With his hand still grasped in hers, she stood up, pulling him up with her, “It’s good to have you back.”


	7. Chapter 7

Sleep did not come easily to Mai that evening. She tossed and turned, waking up every few minutes in a cold sweat. The Seed woman could not rest knowing that her baby brother was out there somewhere, alone, injured, or worse. She was lucky when she got thrown from the helicopter, landing in a tangle of vines that kept her from colliding with the ground, preventing her from joining the many deceased members of her family just yet. When she was not anxiously thinking of Malik, her mind drifted to her father. What would he say to her right now? Probably to get her shit together in the most loving way he could. Find Malik and bring him home lest her mother begin planning another funeral so soon.

She sat up from the cot the settlers had generously offered to her in addition to a private room if you could even call it that. Slipping into her now dried clothes, she stepped outside, met with heavy, wet, air that made it difficult to breathe in normally. Never in her worst nightmares did she think she’d be stuck so far from home again. What she would not give to just see her mother. To hear her reassurance that everything was going to be okay.

As she stood against the railing of the walkway, she noticed it’s panels shifting ever so slightly. Footsteps on approach. Turning her head slightly, she was met with the sight of Thomas, looking like a child who got caught doing something they were not supposed to.

“Hey.” he managed to cough out as he approached.

Mai smiled, acknowledging his greeting as she went back to staring ahead. She could not describe the utter horror she felt when she realized she had nearly gutted the person that she considered to be her best friend. Her heart fluttered being near him again, though, without all the awkwardness of her teenage years. Six years was a long time. He could have found someone in the meantime. She’d never know because she would never ask, knowing the truth would break her heart. After Thomas left Prosperity, she tried to dissolve her childish crush with exclusively physical relationships, Selen being her most recent attempt. Nothing seemed to work though. She could not stop thinking about Thomas Rush: the man who saved her life on multiple occasions, who helped her return home to Hope County, who helped reunite her family. The man she loved.

The odds of them finding each other was astronomically low, yet there they were. That had to mean something right? Together again after so many years apart. She simply wished it was better under better circumstances.

“Some of my guys here were listening in on Highwaymen radio chatter.” he spoke up after a few minutes of silence, “The storm brought in an influx of displaced settlers. They’re rounding them up and taking them to the Capital.”

Mai cocked her head curiously, turning once more to him, “What’s the Capital?”

“An old amusement park turned Highwaymen citadel.” Rush then scoffed, “Shit, it’s more like a fortress to be honest.”

Thomas explained how after she had taken out the Highwaymen leaders, the remnants formed smaller, albeit just as ferocious factions. Rumor had it though, one leader did not show up to that fateful victory dinner. A woman known as The Raven or, in some cases, the Queen. From what Thomas came to understand during his time here, she kept to herself, unlike the Twins who roamed the country looking for resources, The Raven did not have to worry about going in search of supplies. Instead, they came to her willingly. From what the settlers told him, she offered protection to those who could pay up, be it in materials or gasoline, and was known for very specific establishments within the park's walls: a brothel and a fight club-esque arena which also took payment in materials and gas albeit at much higher costs. 

As the last known Highwaymen leader, she represented a threat to all others who were seeking to make their mark with the current power vacuum, especially when she was sitting on a stockpile of supplies. Thomas explained while it may be good for them in terms of the Highwaymen staying away from various settlements, those who sought shelter at the Capital were caught in the crossfire if things continued the way they were. It explained the map she found on her previous expedition. The group at Alcatraz must have had plans to strike sometime soon prior to her and Roger’s raid.

Mai clutched onto the railing, taking a deep breath, unable to shake the feeling that she had inadvertently caused another crisis by killing off the Highwaymen leaders. There was an internal war brewing in this part of the country and Roger and Malik were somewhere out there which a high possibility of getting caught in the crossfire. With a renewed purpose, Mai began walking back to her room, Rush following after her like a lost puppy. She began gathering whatever belongings she had left from falling out of the helicopter. She was lucky she did not lose anything of too much value. She still had the clothes on her back and the beloved knife that Thomas gave her. The only two things she lacked was the knowledge that Roger and Malik were okay. Rush stood in the entryway, looking at her curiously as she got up, attempting to leave.

“What are you doing?”

Mai looked over at him as she sheathed her knife, “Going to get Roger and Malik. You said it yourself you saw them take a man from the helicopter crash. Malik could have been found too.”

“Mai,” he spoke with an empathetic voice, “You said Malik fell when the helicopter lost control…”

He did not need to continue his statement. Mai raised her hand, silencing him and any worst-case scenario that was getting ready to be released from his mouth. 

“Thomas- please.” her voice began to quake as she stepped forward, wanting to get out of this tiny room, and out into the open so she could begin her search. 

Rush, however, did not seem eager to budge, standing her way, preventing her from leaving. Six years ago, it was she who had to look up to him when they would speak, albeit a small height difference, barely significant. Today, however, it was she who hovered over him and quite frankly, she could move him easily without any qualms. But she wouldn’t because she respected him too much to ever lay hands on him in such a way intentionally. 

“Rush, I could literally throw you over my shoulder right now and move you without breaking a sweat. Please get out of my way.”

The Capital was her best and possibly only lead that she had in finding her brother and friend but Roger was not budging. He crossed his arms, giving her an apprehensive look, “I would not doubt that. Just-just hear me out.” 

Mai’s patience was one aspect about her that did not grow in capacity over the last six years, but she could see in Thomas’ eyes that he was being wholeheartedly earnest in what he was attempting to say.

“This isn’t Hope County. There’s no backup if shit goes sideways. A lot of the people in the Capital are under this Raven lady’s protection, for a price of course. If they think they can get a little something extra for turning in trouble makers...” he paused, trying to find a way to continue wording is concerns, “I don’t know much else about this Raven other than what I’ve already told you. She’s not a hot head like the Twins but she’s just as dangerous from what I gather.” 

The Seed woman found her impatience slowly dissipating, recognizing Rush’s concern, “I take it this is your very long-winded way of telling me to be careful.” 

“Actually, it was my way of saying you’re not doing this alone.” he retorted, finally cracking a coy, albeit subtle smile, “Also my way of telling you to be careful.”

The coyote could feel the corners of her lips raise as she bit her lower lip, chuckling. Even after six years, nothing has changed. He was still just as protective of her as she was undoubtedly about him. She debated reaching out to him. She wasn’t sure what she would be reaching out to. She simply wanted to feel his warmth. The roughness of his hands, his heartbeat, the scratch of his facial hair under her fingertips. But she didn’t. As far as she was concerned, he was still her boss. Her best friend. 

“Oh, how I’ve missed you Rush.” she uttered softly.

“I missed you too.” he replied with equal if not more delicacy. 

Mai shifted her weight from one foot to another, clearing her throat to distract herself from the various feelings brewing inside her chest. 

“Well then,” she said, “Let’s get this show on the road.”


	8. Chapter 8

The heart monitor beeped steadily as the Capitals newest guest laid snug in the bed provided to him, tubes running every which way, pumping him with fluids. When the boy, no older than five or six, had arrived, Raven was sure that he was done for. His arm and both legs were broken in addition to a nasty gash on his head. Apparently, he had been found some distance from the helicopter crash, and judging by his injuries, he had fallen quite a staggering height. High enough an impact like that would have killed anyone twice his size. He should have at least been sent into shock but he was unconscious the entire time. It was as if his body went into a standby mode, unable to wake just yet.

Lucky for him, The Capital was the only place she knew that still had functioning medical equipment. It came at no small price of course. Years of tedious labor to first get electricity up, her best techs switching between solar, wind and hydro until they found a combination that worked. The next step was going out and finding the equipment that would be necessary to her men and woman up and going. She had no time to take in guppies. She needed veterans, hardened individuals to keep this kingdom going. The hyenas were outside the walls of the capital, just waiting to get a bite of what she had built here. 

Many mocked her for setting up shop in one location, her vexing nieces among them. Why settle in one spot when there was a whole country for the taking. For Raven the answer was simple: you can take a country with a kingdom backing you. That’s what she tried to get through Vince’s head before he started running amok up and down the east coast. Perhaps if he had listened to her, the Twins wouldn’ have gunned him down in the first place. Perhaps if the Twins were not so focused on short term goals, they too could have joined her and her vision. Lord knows she could have used their ferocity and tenacity. All elements that her own daughter lacked. 

Raven huffed as she continued to watch the monitor and its sharp lines go up and down. Oya and Neph laid at her feet, lying atop one another, making the faintest guttural sound. Raven looked down to the two oversized reptiles who easily took up a majority of the room. 

“What, you two hungry already?” she chided.

Neph and Oya growled in unison. Having two trained, though still wild, crocodiles as pets was more of a novelty than it was practical. These particular twins ate maybe once a month, but they were particularly needy this month. Something in the air perhaps. A coming change. Before Raven could stand to tend to her beloved’s needs, one of her underlings entered the room. The raider was dressed in a dingy labcoat, highlighted in Highwaymen insignias all over, signifying her rank and status. This particular grunt was one of the few doctors that had survived the Collapse, someone Raven found very useful to have on hand at a moment’s notice.

“My Queen!” she spoke hurriedly, pausing upon seeing the two ancient reptiles. The two monstrosities turned their gaze to the resident doctor, figuratively licking their chops if they had the ability to.

“What is it?” Raven replied, a hint of annoyance trailing off her words.

The woman raised something in her hand. An insignificant vile of blood. Ramona did not bother wasting her breath, instead, waiting for the doctor to elaborate.

“I was reviewing the boy’s diagnostic and noticed something strange about his blood.”

Raven’s patience began to grow thin as she listened, “Is there a point to this pointless discussion doctor? My babies are very hungry and you are holding us up.”

On cue, the crocodiles began to shift, inching ever so slightly to the now nervous doctor.

“I-just-” they stuttered, “His blood does not match any official blood type. The closest type would be AB-negative but the levels aren’t quite right. Now that could just be because of radiation, but I can’t quite say that for sure without further researching. I do believe though that whatever anomaly is in his blood explains why he was able to survive that crash.”

The Highwaymen Queen cocked a brow, before bursting into hysterical laughter. The doctor stood obviously uncomfortably, shifting their sight from their Queen to the monsters at her feet.

“You want me to believe that this boy has some sort of magical blood that kept him in one piece? Don’t be absurd.”

To be quite honest, this was the post-apocalypse, anything was possible. After mulling over the information some more, the Queen came to her decision. She was tempted to just feeding the doctor to her babies at that moment but it would make a grisly sight for the boy should he come to. Besides, the world was in short supply of capable people. The doctor had won herself another day. The Queen would keep an open mind, for now, gesturing for the doctor to leave.

“Continue your research. I want to hear about every update.”

The doctor seemed relieved that they were not going to be crocodile food as they turned quickly to leave. Ramona snapped her fingers suddenly though, bringing them to a halt. They turned cautiously, dread marring their face.

“On your way back to your lab, if you could be a doll and tell my men to fetch an animal from the zoo. My babies are ravenous.”

The doctor nodded her head quickly and urgently, skedaddling quickly out of the room. As Ramona went to stand, she heard a slight whimper. She turned to the bed where the unnamed boy rested. He was staring at the beasts down below before calmly looking around the room, seeming almost passive to Ramona herself.

“Mama?” he spoke just above a whisper, still dazed from the tragedy that led him here into her grasp.

Ramona King chuckled as she hovered over the boy, brushing the curls atop his head gently. He did not appear to be related to the man they found at the crash site. Their features were worlds apart which further added to the mystery of who these strangers really were.

“I’m not your mama, honey, but I can be your friend.” she beamed cheerily as she took a seat beside him on the bed, “What’s your name darling?” she began to probe.

The young boy stared at her wearily, clutching the bed sheets closer to his face, “My dad told me not to talk to strangers.”

“That’s fair enough.” Ramona responded, trying to keep up the charade, her attempt to lull him into a false sense of security, “My mama told me the same thing growing up. But you don’t gotta worry about me little one.” she smirked as she continued to pet his head, “I’m going to be the bestest friend you ever had.”

Slowly but surely, he began to lower the sheet from his face, “Is my sister here too?”

 _So there is more of them_ Raven thought. If what the doctor said was true, perhaps this sister of his had the same anomaly in her blood as well. Wherever she was hiding, she was sure her subordinates would find her. With a gleeful smile, Raven clasped her hands together, on the verge of laughing out of just how lucky she was today. Whatever secrets this bloodline held, she would find it and use it to her advantage.

“Your sister ain’t here honey.” she replied, “But why don’t we get you some food, and you can tell me all about her, and then I can help you find her. Deal?”

Raven held out her pinky to the boy. A gesture she had not done since Dayana was, well, this boys age. A sacred pact. An unbreakable promise. The boy looked back and forth from the pinky to the mysterious woman before wrapping his pinky around hers. The deal was set, and if you knew Raven, you’d know she was a woman of her word, for better or for worse.


	9. Chapter 9

To get to the Capital, one had to traverse through twenty-miles of swamp and marshes. Luckily, the settlers of Le Rêve were kind enough to give Thomas Rush and Mai Takoda Seed a motorboat as repayment for Rush helping them set up their settlement. They were also probably eager to see Mai leave which slightly irked Thomas. Had he not known her so intimately, he too would have been intimidated by the sight of her. She had a ferocity that radiated off her. Not to mention that she had bulked up tremendously from the time he last say her. She could probably lift him with one arm and hurl him into the air with no problem if she willed it so. 

He recalled how she had actually fended off whatever monstrosity had taken control of Ethan Seed, the cousin she never knew she had. She had made the ultimate sacrifice during that final confrontation, one that he was guilty of saying he was grateful for. He remembered the way her eyes glowed an inhuman red, easily standing her own ground against the hulking beast; a byproduct of consuming the _sacred fruit_. He wondered if she had ever tapped into that power again, or if it was a one and done sort of deal. Regardless, she was a force to be reckoned with, and he was simply glad that she had always been on the side of those who sought to do good. 

As they traversed through the swamp, he kept glancing over at her. She sat at the nose of the boat, taking in all the sights of the alien fauna. The curious tilt of her head here and there was enough to make his heart swell. Despite the circumstances, he was happy to be here with her. He had promised they’d see each other again, and he meant to keep that promise, just as he had promised Mila so many years ago. Thinking of his daughter immediately shattered any positive emotions he had. He wondered if she’d ever forgive him for leaving. 

“Rush?” Mai’s voice was uncharacteristically soft and concerned, piercing through him like a sudden jolt.

He focused his sight on her. She stared at him with those two-toned eyes that left him feeling like he was staring into a water-colored painting. His throat tightened as he tried to compose himself. 

“Yeah, Cap’. I’m good. Just, thinking of Mila is all.” his shoulders shrugged, “Been gone for so long now, I feel like I’m slowly losing the image of her in my head.”

Mai adjusted herself so she could face him directly. She sat crisscrossed, her braids flowing softly with the passing wind. She grasped onto one of them, playing with it nervously, her mind seemingly running through all the possible things she could say right now. He imagined she was thinking of her own father, the pain of his absence still so fresh. That was a man devoted to his family. Jacob had scoured the country looking for his missing daughter whereas Rush felt as though he himself had left his daughter behind. No matter how good the cause, he could not help but feel guilty. 

“You probably think I’m a horrible father.” 

“You know that’s not what I’m thinking.” She replied, seemingly offended, and justly so, “You’re making the world safer for Mila. If she’s angry now, she’ll understand one day.” 

“You’re right.” Thomas concedes before smirking, “I hate to admit but you’re always right.” 

“You should know this by now Rush.” She mused her face suddenly turning sour, like she had just realized something. 

Unable to leave the steering wheel, Rush cocked his head at her, obviously concerned.

“What about you? Something on your mind?”

“Just-“ she sighed, “I haven’t really been the best sister ...or daughter for that matter these last few months.”

She turned her head downward, continuing to play with her braids before finally deciding to undo it completely, allowing her hair to flow freely. The Seed woman ruffled her hair with her hands, making an irritated growling noise before dropping the _F_ bomb quite furiously. He wished there was more that he could do. For now they were acting on their only lead. Hoping to calm her, he made a short whistle noise, drawing her attention. She looked to him as he pointed ahead. Mai’s head snapped, immediately standing up. 

The Citadel was fast approaching on the horizon. It’s sheer size could be comparable to the iconic Disneyworld. A place Thomas had told himself he would take Mila once she was a bit older. Guess now he’d never get the chance. The Highwaymen that called this place home had fortified it from the inside out. There were three ways of getting in and out: one was through a jurry-rigged drawbridge at the park entrance, the flooded parking lot which acted as a port for incoming watercraft, or via air if you were lucky enough to have an operating helicopter. Thomas had only been here a handful of times, mostly to trade for supplies. Save for the presence of the Highwaymen, he’d say it was the most impressive settlement he had ever encountered. Most of the settlers had access to clean water, shelter, and food, they just had to work their asses off scavenging and hunting to keep such privileges. The lucky few, if you could even consider them as such, found jobs as _entertainers_ , serving within the main hub itself. 

“Here,” Thomas said as he reached into his supply bag, pulling out a pancho before tossing it to Mai.

She looked at him confused, “What’s this for?”

“No offense Captain, but, you kinda’ stick out.” he smirked. 

Mai glared at him before slipping the hooded pancho on. For their sake, he hoped the pancho was enough to ward off any attention. The port was littered with Highwaymen guards, armed to the teeth. Even from under the pancho he could see Mai tense up. Thomas pulled the boat into the port, nodding in acknowledgement of the guards. From behind their faceless masks, they looked down at the two, focusing their gaze on Rush.

“Payment.” one spoke promptly.

“One second chief.” Thomas replied as he dug into his supply bag once more. 

He pulled out a large container, filled with a clear liquid splashing around. The guard lifted their mask just enough to free up their nose, removing the lid before taking a whiff. The disgusted look on their face confirmed this was the real thing. The only way to get anything these days was through the trade of ethanol. Without it, you were just scraps for others to take advantage of. The guard handed off the ethanol to his companion, gesturing for Thomas and Mai to come up onto the deck. Thomas grabbed Mai the hand, quickly dragging her along. They had to pass another checkpoint before finally being allowed within the city limits. As soon as they entered, Mai’s eyes widened in bewilderment. 

When he said The Citadel was the most established settlement he had ever seen, he was not exaggerating. People were packed up against one another, hustling by to get to their next destination. Mai’s hand tightened around his, her other hand coming to clasp around his forearm as they walked through the crowds. 

“You okay?” he asked once again, seeing her head whip around in every which way.

“Yeah I-I’m just do not like being around this many people.” she spoke almost breathlessly. 

Thomas watched her with a close eye as they continued on. They just had to make it to the main Hub. In the case of stragglers, runaways, new arrivals, etcetera, they usually ended up at the Hub for processing. Rush and the others he traveled with had intimate knowledge of the Hub, having been processed there once before. No one came to this part of Louisiana without going through that process, Raven was sure of it, and frankly, that was their best chance right now at finding Roger and Malik. The further inward they traveled, the more restless Mai seemed to become. Her grip kept tightening and loosening before she finally let go all together. Thomas turned back to her, seeing her grasping her head as though she had a headache or was becoming dizzy.

“Mai?” he asked reaching out for her.

She looked at him with glossed over eyes, looking as though on the verge of panicking. “I can’t- I need some air.” 

In an instant she was gone, darting to the nearest clearing she could find, no doubt. Thomas gritted his teeth as he hurriedly walked after her. He would have broken out into a sprint if covertion wasn’t their top priority right now. He followed her tall figure to. It wasn’t until a few moments later he realized why she was reacting the way she was. The woman had spent nearly two years in a cell, no larger than six by eight packed wall to wall with children roughly her own age, only taken out to fight in death matches against one another. He cursed himself for not even thinking of how being in a crowd may have triggered that memory, causing her reaction. He followed her to what had once been the amusement parks version of a zoo, now repurposed to serve the Highwaymen’s needs. 

Most of the animals were in cages while others roamed aimlessly and freely, each one marked with some kind of paint and symbol like the Highwaymen version of an identification tag. Thomas eventually spotted Mai holding onto some railing looking over an exhibit area. He came up slowly behind her, placing a gentle hand upon her back.

“Mai-I’m so sorry. I wasn’t even thinking-”

Mai with slow and steady breaths began to collect herself, brushing her hair back behind her ears, “It’s okay Rush. You couldn’t have known. I thought I had moved on past that time of my life.”

She scoffed at herself. She pushed off the railings and began to turn to face him. As she did, she paused instantly, seemingly unsettled and caught off guard, “What the hell is that?” 

Thomas looked to Mai in confusion, following her gaze to the gentle creature that had snuck up beside him. Honestly, he was caught off guard as well, jumping slightly as the gentle giant neared his face. Thomas gave a slight chuckle as he stroked the creature’s hair as he peered over at Mai. She seemed genuinely perplexed at the sight of the animal, cocking her head like a curious but cautious child. 

“It’s uh-it’s a horse.” It was his turn to look perplexed, “Have you never seen a horse before?”

He awaited a sarcastic remark. A witty comeback. For her to stare directly at him with those piercing eyes that he found impossible to look away from. But Mai was not sarcastic or witty. She was candid and frank. Direct and genuine. She stood there wide eyed, almost embarrassed to answer. She shook her head, finalizing her answer. Thomas blinked a few times before the corner of his lip twitched upward. He held out his hand to her, motioning for her to come closer.

“Come on, she won’t bite.” he urged.

Mai hesitated, her shoulders nearly up to her ears signaling her anxiousness as she approached slowly. Her hand was shaking as she placed it into his. He gently pulled her towards the horse, placing her hand just over the timid creatures snout.

“Easy, just take a deep breath.” Thomas urged as he placed Mai’s palm delicately on the animal.

Mai gasped as her hand made contact, her hand molding to the curvature of the animals nose. The horse leaned into her touch, welcoming it. Mai looked to Thomas, smiling with disbelief as she began to pet it. Thomas’ head began to spin like a hamster wheel as he watched her, completely consumed by the blissful moment. He felt...fuzzy. Like breathing became more difficult the more he found himself around her. What was it...six ...seven years they had been apart? He had no idea. No idea just how much he had missed her until this moment. After everything she had been through, seeing her like this...

“Have you ever seen something so beautiful?” Mai asked suddenly.

She was completely enamoured by the animal, oblivious to the way Thomas Rush was looking at her. He was a goner and he knew it. 

“No.” He replied as he continued to watch the sparkles in her eyes. The gentle curve of her smile, “Never have.”


	10. Chapter 10

“We should probably get a move on.”

Mai’s head snapped to Thomas, nearly forgetting he was there entirely. She looked around, realizing how late it was getting. The Seed woman had gotten so lost in the moment, she could have sworn she was back in Hope County for a split second. Being around the animals in this area reminded her of the time she’d spend as a child with her dog Boomer and the cougar Peaches. Simpler times. Happier times. A time before she was packed alongside thirty, maybe forty other children sitting in their own filth. She met eyes with the gentle giant she had been petting for who knows how long, planting a gentle kiss on their snout.

“Goodbye my friend.” she murmured into the horse's fur as she pulled away. 

She looked to Thomas apologetically, “Sorry for getting us sidetracked. I had to get out of my own head for a moment.”

“You don’t have to apologize for anything Cap’.” he assured her, “You’ve been through more than anyone else I’ve ever met. Take it at your own pace. I’ll be right beside you no matter what.”

Thomas always had a way of lulling her to the sense that everything was going to be okay. They would find Roger and Malik, find a way back to Hope County, and go back to life before she made the mistake of coming here. That begged the question though, what would Thomas do after this was all said and done. She had just gotten him back, and she would be devastated to leave him so soon, especially as the feelings she held so long ago began to resurface with violent ferocity. This was all based on the likelihood of their success of course. There was a chance they may never leave these walls at all. As Mai gathered herself, she glanced over to the way they had entered, freezing with trepidation. Thomas saw the change in her body language and followed her eyes, cursing under his breath. A squad of Highwaymen approached, hauling a decent size wagon behind them.

“I have a feeling we’re not supposed to be in this area.” Thomas said.

“I’m going to agree with you on that notion.”

Mai grabbed Thomas’ hand as they looked for the nearest bit of cover. They moved quickly and quietly, ducking behind an old bathtub, repurposed as a feeding trough. Mai could not help but peer over the rim of the tub, curious as to what was going on.

“This the one?” one of the Highwaymen asked their cohorts as they approached the horse she had just became acquainted with.

Another Highwayman, this one a bit more aggravated responded, “Who cares. Crocodiles ain’t picky. Just grab it and load it onto the wagon.”

They began to process of trying to get the horse onto the wagon itself, dropping down a ramp for it to walk upon. Mai felt an over looming doom hanging over her, like something awful was going to happen. The horse was hesitant to step onto the ramp, prompting one of the raiders to prod her with some sort of metal stick that caused her to cry out. Mai’s body tensed, her grip on Thomas’ hand tightening.

“Easy there Cap.” he tried to calm her, “Ain’t nothing we can do right now.”

Oh but there was plenty of things she could do. She could take that metal stick and shove it so far up that Highwayman’s ass that it’d come out his throat. She could dislocate their arms and bash their heads with their own helmets. That last thought prompted her to settle down, at least until she saw one of the raiders brandishing a gun and aiming it at the horse. Mai couldn’t feel her own body at that point. She was on the outside looking in. She saw herself launching over the feeding trough and Thomas reaching out for her to stop. She was too late to save the horse. The gun went off the moment Mai reached the first Highwayman. The horse’s body collapsed onto the wagon, the eye’s lifeless and void. 

Mai took down two of the Highwaymen by the time they managed to take her down. One of them jabbed her with the same metal stick. She had never seen such a device before but the pain was immeasurable. She felt an electric current coursing through her body while the part of her body that was being jabbed started burning.

She collapsed to her knees, breathless as the other still standing Highwaymen bound her wrists and took her only weapon on hand. Mai wasn’t sure why she had done what she did. Part of her was hoping that the Highwaymen would just put her out of her misery, having failed so spectacularly losing Roger and Malik. Another part of her just wanted to take out her bend up frustration that had been eating away at her since arriving here. But mostly, she just wanted to save the fucking horse, as idiotic as that sounded.

With the remaining Highwaymen preoccupied with her, she was able to freely look over at Thomas, knowing he was shaking his head in disappointment. Imagine her surprise and worry that she saw instead a pissed off Rush with a cloaked figure by his side, hurriedly leading him away from the commotion. Before Mai could even possibly begin to comprehend what was going on with Rush, she was knocked out cold with the butt of a rifle..

\-----

“We can’t just leave her. We have to go back.” the man argued, fighting against the cloaked figure’s ironclad grip as she dragged him along the back alleys of the Citadel, out of sight.

Thomas Rush was a good man. Perhaps one blinded by undying loyalty and a need for justice but he was a good man. That was what Dayana King picked up on back when she was first brought to Prosperity and boy, there was no one he wasn’t more loyal to than Mai. Perhaps fatally so. Loyalty was not something in Dayana’s vocabulary, or rather, it was a word that was not used too often. Many mistook her service to her mother as a sign of loyalty, but really, it was purely done out of survival. Every second of every minute of her days were spent calculating what she had to do to stay on her mother’s good side. If she could feed Mickey and Lou, two women who were essentially daughters to Raven, to her own pet crocs, then who was to say she would not do the same to Dove herself. 

Yet here Dove was, going against everything she had been ingrained to act upon, helping Thomas Rush out of a sticky situation that of course Mai Takoda Seed had gotten them into. Dove and Roger had come to the market to get supplies to get La Grosse Patate up and running when she saw the familiar looking pair roaming the crowded market. Imagine Dove’s surprise to see it was the infamous pair together in the flesh, almost two thousand miles away from Hope County. To be frank, she wasn’t even surprised to see that Thomas was still alive. Rush had luck on his side and one hell of a guardian angel by the name of Mai. 

The areas where her missing arm and leg should have been had begun to twist and cramp. A phantom, physiological response to seeing the girl she betrayed and who left Dove as this half-woman, half-machine. Dove did not hold grudges though. At least, to the extent that others may have. Dove followed the two, leaving Roger at a stall in the market place as she went to investigate what the two were doing. What she saw was a tender moment exchanged between the two. You didn’t need to be a genius to know the two were taken with each other. Dayana knew since day one. As she sat and watched, she wondered if anyone would ever look at her the way Rush looked at Mai. 

“We’re not leaving her behind.” Dayana finally responded to Thomas’ earlier comment, “But we have to regroup first before we can do anything.”

“Regroup?” he questioned, “Regroup with who?”

Dove kept pulling Rush along until they ended up behind one of the market stalls, this one seemingly empty. There stood one Roger Cadoret, looking skittish, his fingers in his mouth as he bit nails awaiting Dove’s return. Roger stood out like a sore thumb, dressed in a bright jumpsuit and identification collar that the Highwaymen liked to give to their prisoners or _workers_. 

“You said you’d be back in ten minutes.” Roger whined followed by a curse in French, “The guards stopped here three times asking me where my handler was-” Roger’s mouth quickly shut upon seeing Rush, the two men instantaneously recognizing one another, “Merde, Rush is that you tough bastard?”

Dove saw Thomas smile in relief, seeing another familiar face here, “It’s me. Good to see you old friend.”

The two men embraced, leaving Dove as an outsider looking in. Is this what it was like to have friends? To have camaraderie? The most affection she ever warranted from The Twins or even her own mother was a flurry of insults and belittlement. 

“We need to cut the reunion short.” Dove interceded now looking at Rush, “We have a huge issue, and I don’t mean the fact that Mai literally just got herself captured.”

“Mai got captured?” Roger gasped.

“Yes,” Dove spoke, feeling the oncoming headache of this entire situation once again focusing on Thomas, “You’re already aware of Mai’s brother? Well he’s here. I saw my mother’s goons running medical tests on him. They’re very interested in him but I don’t know why.”

“Wait-Raven is your mother?” Thomas’ face looked grave as he ran his fingers through his hair, “Shit.”

“Shit?” What’s shit?” Dove pressed.

“Mai and her mother ate a magical fruit that gave them some flippin’ superpowers.” Roger interjected, “Nayeli must have passed on some of that to Malik. That explains how he survived the fall from the helicopter.”

Dove stared at the two men, waiting for the punchline, “Magical fruit...okay…”

“It’s what the Twins wanted. That’s why they attacked New Eden.” Thomas filled in the blanks, “If this chapter of Highwaymen gets a hold of that sort of power, we’re royally fucked.”

“Well, this day just keeps getting better and better.” Dove sighed as she tried to plan their next step, “Even if we manage to get Mai and Malik out, we aren’t going to get far without _Patate_. Roger and I need to get back before we’re missed.” she then pointed to Thomas, “You need a disguise if you’re going to be walking around the Hub.”

“And what exactly will I be doing?” Thomas asked.

“Looking for Mai obviously. If I know my mother as well as I do, she’s going to take one look at Mai and send her to the brothel thinking she can make a quick buck. But we all know Mai does not play nice. We need to find her before she pisses off the wrong client.”

“Operation stop Mai from killing anyone including herself. Gotcha.” Roger mused sarcastically, “And how do we get Malik exactly?”

“We’ll come to that once we get Mai. I’m sure she’d want to spearhead that one.” Dayan retorted, “You want to keep undermining me or are you finally going to trust that I’m on your side.”

Roger met her gaze hesitantly before looking away. She tried to not to take too much offense. She had fucked up big time when she sold Mai out to the Twins. Now she was paying the price. The price being the burgeoning friendship she had established with Roger years ago. Perhaps something more could have come out of it. She’d never know.

“Look, I’m all about second chances,” Thomas intervened, “But I can’t guarantee that Mai feels the same way.”

“Oh don’t worry Rush.” Dove responded, “I’m quite familiar with her temper.” With that being said, Dove clasped her hands together, “Now then. Let’s get this rescue underway.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Stand up straight maggots! You’re in the presence of the Queen!”

The Highwayman enforcer stood near the front of the line of newly-arrived individuals, each one dressed in horribly bright orange jumpsuits standing in a single file line. Everyone’s hands and ankles were cuffed making walking tedious and long despite the Highwaymen rushing them along. Mai Takoda Seed awoke violently after being knocked out in the marketplace to people grasping at her and removing her clothes, bounding her and shoving her in the jumpsuit. Next thing she knew she was standing in this line, waiting to get _processed_. The Hub was a large building, the interior repurposed entirely from whatever it’s initial purpose was. It resembled a throne room from old stories her mom used to tell her during their time in the bunker with her Uncle Joseph when Mai would get upset about something. Except this was no story tale, and her mother was not here to comfort her. Mai poked her head out of line for just a moment, wondering just who this Queen was that she kept hearing so much about.

About thirty people stood ahead of her, the very first in line standing at the foot of a flight of stairs leading up to a makeshift throne. There sat a woman lazily, almost feline-like. Her legs swung off the sides of the armrest, looking uninterested in the peons before her. She was beautiful in a way that one would call a cougar beautiful. Look but don’t touch. She had an air of danger hanging around her, something one may say about Mai herself. The Queen’s mouth was moving with each person that approached before a guard came to take them away, each one leaving in different directions. As Mai drew closer in line, she could begin to make out what the woman was saying.

“Mines. Mines. Entertainment. Production. Security. Mines.”

 _Is she assigning people to different stations?_

She must have been. Nearly every elderly person in line was sent to the mines while the more able-bodied were designated to production or security. Only maybe one or two were designated to whatever entertainment meant. One very strapping man and a girl probably no older than sixteen. Mai’s stomach began to twist wondering if entertainment meant what the dark corridors of her mind were conjuring up. Five people stood in front of her now and she instantly felt nauseous. There was no sight of Malik, Roger, or Thomas. Her idiotic outburst left Thomas vulnerable, and no closer to finding her friend or brother.

The people before her dwindled down, leaving her standing before the Queen herself. The woman’s eye had a spark of life ignite as soon as Mai stood before her, a look of pleasant surprise. 

“What do we have here?” 

The sight of Mai caused her to get up from her throne, seemingly intrigued by the sight of the young woman. The woman Had Mai not been cuffed, she would have broken the hands that were now caressing her hair and face, examining her like a breeder examining a prized animal. The woman began to feel Mai’s muscular arms before backing away, chuckling.

“Oh honey, you are going to make me a very happy woman with all the resources you’re going to bring in. You are going to fit in well with my other boys and girls.”

“Kiss my ass.” Mai snapped back.

The woman’s smile diminished, her face instantly turning to a scowl, “Oh dear. This one needs an attitude adjustment.”

The woman’s hand rose up to the hair, snapping her fingers. There was a metallic sound, like a door opening behind Mai followed by the sound of screaming. Mai whipped around just in time to see the handful of individuals behind her fall into a dark abyss below, the grate flooring seemingly repurposed as a trap door. There was a splash of water and continued screaming. Mai’s heart froze as the subtle sound of hissing down below could be heard. An unseen monster about to feast on the innocent victims. The Seed woman was trembling in place, out of fear, out of pure anger. She slowly turned back to the Queen who had a smug look.

“Act like that again, that’s gonna be you next.”

The screams eventually subsided, leaving Mai wondering just how much more blood she could afford to have on her hands before she absolutely lost it. 

“Now.” The Raven continued, “You gonna be my good little girl?”

Mai’s jaw clenched shut as she stood face to face with the only person who probably knew where her brother and Roger were located. Hell, she may even know where Thomas was too. She could not act as brashly as she had though. Could not rely on the tactics that helped her survive the slavers and then the Highwaymen chapter back home. She was not in Hope County. She was not on her own turf. This was not the volatile Twins that she was dealing with. This was The Raven. Mai knew at that moment she was no longer the hunter. She was the prey. 

Mai bit her lower lip, yielding by nodding her head. The woman before her chuckled triumphantly, as she clasped her hands together. Whatever big, bad guy monologue she had planned was interrupted by an individual emerging from an entryway near them. They wore a white coat, much like Selene back in Prosperity, leading Mai to believe they were some sort of Highwaymen doctor.

“My Queen.” they exclaimed with a look of excitement on their face, “There’s something I think you’d like to see.”

“Not now.” Raven snapped.

“My Queen it’s regarding the newest _asset_.”

Mai watched as a look of enlightenment appeared on The Highwaymen leaders face. Her laughter became even more boisterous as she looked to Mai and the rest of the prisoners behind her.

“Guards, please take this feisty little girl to her new home. The rest can go to the mines.” the Raven then turned, marking her exit, “I have business to attend to.”

\-----

_Fucking hell. Fucking cock-sucking hell_. As if Dayana King did not have enough shit to worry about, she now had to find out where exactly her mother’s forces had sent Mai. The damn girl just did not know when to sit still, did she? Roger trailed behind her as they made their way back to the hangar, hauling the goods from the market place that they needed to get La Grosse Patate back up and running. The last thing she needed was Roger getting reprimanded for being away for too long while she figured out Mai’s location.

“Do you think splitting up was the best idea?” Roger asked quietly, though there was no reason to.

You could hardly hear anything over the ruckus of other mechanics working and fixing the various Highwaymen vehicles that they had acquired over the years. 

“He’ll be fine. He survived the Twins after all. He’ll be okay if he just stays out of sight. We cover more ground this way anyway. Who knows where my mother sent Mai off to.”

“Whatever happened to the Twins?” Roger asked with that same naivety that Dove had begun to fall for during her short time with the residents of Prosperity, “Last we heard Mai’s parents had scared them off.”

As they began to unload the scrap metal, she gave him a solemn look, “They came here asking for my mother’s help to take back Hope County, but she found out about a coup they had originally planned to take her kingdom. So she fed them to Neph and Oya.”

“Qui? Who is Neph and Oya?”

“My mother’s crocodiles.” Dove replied nonchalantly as she shoved a wrench into his chest for him to grasp, “Which is what is going to happen to you if we don’t get this helicopter up and running.”

Roger looked down at the wrench, gently grasping it. His glasses had slipped past his nose as he continued to keep his face down, actively avoiding meeting her eyes.

“Why are you doing this Dove?” he asked, his question leaving her a bit confused, “Why are you putting your neck out for us?”

“Well, it’s not like I have much to lose.” she tried to smile, gesturing to her mechanical arm and leg. 

When she saw that that joke fell flat, she sighed, placing her hands on her hips as she glanced around, trying to find the right words to say. It was impossible to justify what she did. At the time of the Twin’s reign in Hope County, she was only twenty years old. An adult by most standards but she was still just a child scared shitless out of her mind. Having your mother ship you have to be with your cousins in hopes of them hardening you up was quite the blow to one’s mental state. Top that with the abusive nature of the Twins and you had a pretty fucked up view of what was right and wrong. The only thing she knew was how to survive, and she did that by doing as she was told. 

Infiltrate the scavenger's main encampment. Check. Gain the trust of said scavengers. Check. Keep tabs on Mai’s weaknesses and exploit them. Check. Get killed during the derby so The Twins had one less loose end to clean up. Guess she fucked that one up royally, though Mai did play a role in it as well. She knew Roger was awaiting a response but frankly, she had no idea why she was doing this. Her mother was quite possibly, a sociopath, and used Dove in ways that no mother should, subjecting her to sex with strangers in exchange for resources, berating her in every which way, forcing her to work on these vehicles to no end and would have no problem offing her as she did the Twins whom she had at one point considered being like daughters to her.

“Guess just chop it up to being a guilty conscious.” she finally responded, “I wish I could just say I had no choice in what the Twins made me do. I wish I could just say it was somebody else’s fault that Mai, her parents, and Thomas were almost killed. But I can’t. Because that was all me.”

The two sat there in a momentary silence deafening enough that she no longer paid any mind to the clanking sound of sheet metal being scraped, scratched nor the sound of torches going off, bending the metal to its desire. Without notice, Roger reached out, taking her mechanical hand into his own. She looked at him quizzically. She knew people who lost limbs could sometimes feel like a twitch, or pain where their former body part used to be. In this case, she could have sworn for just a second, she felt the warmth of his hand against hers. He looked at her with a stern face, eager, determined.

“We are going to get out of here. That includes you too.” 

The corner of Dove’s mouth twitched, wanting to smile. There it was. That naivety again. Her heart swelled thinking of an alternative life where she was free of the Highwaymen, of her mother. Perhaps a life were the fondness she held for Roger would eventually evolve into something more. But that was a little Dove’s dream. Dayana knew the reality of her situation though: she was never going to escape this place.


	12. Chapter 12

Ramona King was a hard woman to impress so to see the boy found in the helicopter crash up and walking around his designated room was quite the sight. That was a trait her daddy instilled into her at a young age. He was what many would call a hardass. There was no mommy to kiss her booboos or sing her lullabies. There was only him. Ex-military. Former police officer. He had to work twice as hard to make a name for himself, all because he was quote on quote born the wrong color. For Ramona, growing up meant she had to work ten times as hard only ever getting a _good job_ from her father. 

Fate seemed to repeat itself when she had Dayana. Her father always seemed to have a word in how she was raised, so much so that when the apocalypse came, Ramona was almost grateful just because it meant she no longer had to listen to his criticism. She still maintained his high standards however, standards her daughter was failing to keep up with. 

It wasn’t all inherently Dayana’s fault. In fact, Dayana’s father was the main influencer and the reason why their daughter was the way she was. He was always so empathetic and soft. Choosing diplomacy over all else. After the apocalypse, Raven tried his method for a time. She even resisted her dear friend Vince’s offer the first time around to join his merry group of Highwaymen because her dear husband convinced her not to. 

The second time he offered she could not refuse. The Twins were only a couple years older than Dayana at the time. She did away with her pathetic husband and formed a new family. That lasted a while until Vince began to go soft in the head. Seeing an opportunity, she convinced Vince’s Twins to take care of their dear pops before convincing them to head west while she set up shop in the southeast to create a new hub for the Highwaymen. After their little coup with the other Highwaymen leaders, it just left her with splinter cells looking to take her throne.

She had hoped Dayana would be the one to take over should death finally catch up with her, but as she stood amongst the doctors observing the boy known as Malik, she suddenly had other plans. She could start from scratch. But she would soon find out in a few moments, this boy had more going for him than she had initially believed.

“It’s like his body didn’t experience any trauma at all.” One of the doctors standing by spoke astonished, “A few cuts and scratches but his body appears to already begin the healing process at an accelerated rate.” 

“Amazing.” Raven responded watching from behind the glass at her latest investment.

“That’s not all,” the Doctor who had come to get her spoke excitedly, “The samples of his blood...well, I hope you don’t mind but I took the liberty of doing a few tests.”

Ramona turned to the doctor, curious, but with a hint of annoyance tinged on her voice. Only because she was mildly interested in what she had to say, the Highwaymen Queen would refrain from feeding this fool to her beloved Neph and Oya for acting without her permission. 

“Oh? And what did you find out doctor.”

With a gleeful expression, the doctor responded, “I think it’s better if you see for yourself.”

\-----

The next day.

The following day was quite possibly the worst torture Mai had ever had to endure. Raven deemed Mai as part of the _entertainment_ caste which apparently required having a burning, sticky substance placed all over her skin along with a small cloth before ripping it off. By then end of it, she felt like her entire body was tingling and burning. She could not be angry at the people doing it though. They were placed in the same position as she, dressed in the strangest and skimpiest clothing she had ever seen, combined with makeup and hair done in such extravagant ways all the while wearing collars with identification numbers and letters on it.

They stripped her down and placed her into one such outfit, parting her hair this way and that way until it was to their liking. You could see in their eyes this was just the norm. The efficiency in the way they worked told her they had been doing this for a very long time. They were drones rewarded with the basic necessities one needed to survive. When they finished with her she hardly recognized herself. Her hair was straight as a pin needle and her eyes engulfed with heavy shadows and glitter. Her lips covered in another sticky substance that had the faintest flavor of strawberries. 

Only a few moments passed before the others around her began to get riled up. They were whispering and murmuring as someone approached. They stepped aside allowing a woman through. There was no mistaking the bleached dye and twisted braids that cascaded down past her shoulders. The two women locked eyes, neither one exactly enthused to see the other. Mai stood up immediately, her first instinct to rip the woman apart. Spotting Dove’s newest mechanical additions however in place of organic limbs gave her pause. It seemed the job had already been done. Dove seemed just about as excited to see her as one would be stepping into a pile of shit. 

“Mai.”

“Dove.”

Dayana King approached Mai to the point where if the Seed woman wanted to, she could bite that little petite nose off the Highwayman’s face.

“I thought you were dead.” Mai said.

Dove narrowed her eyes at the redhead, scoffing, “Guess maybe you should finish the job next time. Or you know, not leave someone pinned under a car in agonizing pain.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have let Micke and Lou nearly kill my parents and Rush-”

“Look,” Dove interrupted, “I don’t have a lot of time, but I know where they’re keeping your brother.”

Mai’s chest immediately began to tighten, ““How do you know about him? Where’s Roger and Thomas?”

“Thomas is fine, seeing as how I saved him from your little stunt in the marketplace.”

Mai’s fist clenched, causing Dove to raise her hands in surrender, “I get it, we have bad blood. I get it. But he’s okay. He’s scoping out the place to plan your escape.”

“I’m not leaving without Roger or my brother.” Mai stated.

“Roger can’t go yet. He is helping me get _La Grosse Patate_ up and running.” Dove responded, “You do want to go back to Hope County after all right?”

Mai unclenched her fists, now biting her tongue. Dove made a valid point. They had come here in _Patate_ and Roger knew the ins and outs of her like no other. Without the helicopter, they’d have a helluva time getting back to Montana. Mai ran her hand through her hair in frustration.

“And what about Malik? My brother?”

“That’s a bit more complicated.” Dove spoke almost apologetically, “Roger said that you and your mother had ingested a _magical apple_ back during your war with Mickey and Lou?”

Mai tried to keep a still face, “What about it?”

“Well, I just came from the arena. Some of our _investors_ are in town and The Raven had a little demonstration for them waiting. She injected one of her foot soldiers with your brother's blood and they nearly ripped someone’s arm off like it was wet paper. So now-,” she paused, allowing that revelation to sink in before continuing, “-she has about twenty guards injected with this shit. If she finds out you’re his sister and you actually ingested this shit, you’re never gonna see the light of day again.”

_Fuck._. This was totally fucked. The dosage used was already diluted as it was, Malik only inheriting the blessings of the Fruit of Eden through their mother. That probably meant that those injected would not face the same downfall that befell Ethan, or at least not immediately. In the long run this may be beneficial, they’d die out all on their own, but for now, there were twenty jacked-up guards between her and her brother and if they got their hands on her...

“I have to get my brother out of here.”

“Did you not just hear what I said?” Dove griped, “If my mother catches one scent of your blood, you’ll never see the light of day. Not you, not Roger, not your brother.”

“Wait-” Mai paused, “Ramona..The Raven is your mother?”

_Way to put two and two together Mai,_ she lectured herself. She saw the resemblance now though. They were like night and day. 

“Can we please forget who my mother is for one fucking second-” Dove spoke harshly as though Mai had just nicked a nerve, “From the way my mother was talking up Malik to the others, it sounds like she has more plans for him than just harvesting his blood.”

With a heavy sigh, Dove looked around, ensuring everything they had just talked about was just between them. The others were none the wiser. Their heads down low, avoiding her gaze.

“I need to get back before they notice I’m gone. I’m going to go find Thomas first and tell him where you are, then you two are going to get the fuck out of here until Roger and I can finish _Patate_. When she’s done, we’ll figure out a way to get your brother out without getting us all killed.”

“That’s a tall order.” Mai responded, “What makes you think this plan is actually going to work?”

“I don’t know.” Dove shot back, “Do you have any idea that doesn’t revolve around throwing your fist into someone’s face?” 

The petite woman then gestured to the submissive looks of the others present. 

“These people don’t need to get caught in the crossfire. We do this subtly, we do this without bloodshed. Got it?”

Mai crossed her arms over her barely clothed chest, “No. But for now I’ll play along. But if you think about betraying me again, you’ll be missing more than just an arm and a leg-” The Coyote leaned in nice and close to the Dove, a growl escaping her throat, “Got it?”

Dove, in a shocking twist of character, smirked as she looked back at Mai, “Got it.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so sorry for the delay in updates. lots of stuff happening irl but i'm hoping to get my momentum going again. thanks for sticking with me! i hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> Also there's a special guest appearance from a character in another FarCry game that i hope you guys like ^^

A few hours later.

While Mai awaited her supposed rescue - she had been chatting with the other _entertainers_. For all she knew, Dove had already double-crossed them and turned Thomas in. She had to have faith however, that the woman that was her enemy would come through on her promise. For now, she heard the stories of her cohorts, also dressed in scantily clad outfits and outrageous makeup. A lot of them were either her age or young which made her stomach twist and turn. Whatever the obsession was using other people’s bodies as a commodity was sickening. This wasn’t her first time in such a position after all. Before she was fighting to the death for both entertainment and training - now she was sitting around presumably waiting for someone to come pay for her services. That being said, the first person to lay a hand on her was going to get a broken wrist. A lot of the others here were mere traders who had gotten on the wrong side of The Raven, some of them were scooped up off the road while in transit to elsewhere, then there was the handful who willingly offered themselves because it meant having a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. According to a few of them, The Raven even offered up Dove occasionally for a very small pool of clientele. To hear what Dove was subjugated to made her stomach toss and turn, overwhelmed with guilt that had not previously been there before. To imagine your own mother selling you out in exchange for resources was heartbreaking and disgusting. 

Mai was grateful her own mother was a decent human being. A kind, loving person who was probably worried out of her mind looking for her two lost children. The moment Mai returned to Hope County she knew she was in for it, but all she could think about right now was just holding her precious, aging mother in her arms, apologizing for the heartbreak she had caused her, especially so soon after losing the man who meant the most to the both of them. She wondered what her father would have done upon hearing his daughter and son were MIA. There was no doubt in her mind he’d venture out just as he had done before, searching the country non-stop. Part of her was glad he was not here though to see the failure his daughter had become.

The others around her were carrying on with their own conversations in the midst of her inner dilemma.

“I heard Buck is coming today with a huge shipment of goods. Poor Dayana. He’s always got his eye on her when he comes..” one person said.

Another person responded, “Ramona has her working on something though, I thought.”

“Buck gets what Buck wants.” a third responded, “Ramona wouldn’t risk upsetting him.”

The way they spoke of this character made Mai’s skin crawl. Despite their differences, perhaps there would be a way to bring Dayana with them when they finally escaped. A fresh start for her. Perhaps the residents of Prosperity would even be kind enough as to forgive her and allow her a spot to stay. There was a lot of what if’s to consider, included amongst them what was Thomas going to do. Would he return back to his daughter or continue his crusade to helping settlements. After they left here would she ever see him again?

She was so concerned about future events she didn’t realize that the room began to come to life once more. Everyone began to shuffle about, faint hints of worry. One of the girls brushed a hand gently against Mai, grabbing her attention.

“The Raven is coming.” She spoke as though it were a caution.

The girl was out of sight moments later, melding into a single file line facing forward. Mai had no clue what the hell was going on but she took her place among the others not wanting to be the one to stand out. But stand out she did, nearly towering over the others with her amazon like stature. Before she knew it, the room began to fill with Highwaymen goons proceeding the entrance of Raven herself. She was wearing an extravagant dress adorned with feathers coming out of every direction. Mines positive she was dressed to impress but to the Montana Native, she just looked like an overgrown turkey.

“Look alive people!” She commanded as she strolled up and down the room, “For those of you that are new, we have a VIP in our midst so I expect you to be on your best, most obedient behavior.”

Her eyes lingered on Mai, a look of agitation appearing before continuing to walk down the line. A few moments later, a gentlemen entered the same room, a gaggle of men following suit. They were dressed in a way that Mai was not familiar with. The lead man had his chest exposed, his button down shirt showcasing a buck tattoo across his chest. The rest of the men that accompanied him were armed to the nines, wearing tactical gear and showcasing automatic weapons. Whoever this was, he must have been profiting off of the whole end of the world. 

Raven’s face took on a more positive expression when she noticed the man’s presence. She immediately proceeded to walk towards him, her arms outstretched.

“My beloved Bambi, it’s been too long.” Raven mused, leaning in to kiss the newly arrived man on the cheek.

The man identified as Bambi returned the favor, seemingly sniffing her as she pulled away. With a greasy smile he gave her a once over. Mai could not help but stare at him, his mannerisms and appearance eerily familiar to her Uncle John which left her feeling nauseated. Since her journey to defeat the Twins, she had not had any more weird visions but just for a split moment, she swore she was seeing him in the flesh once more. There were a few key features that were off of course: the hair color, the clothing, but the way he carried himself and the almost predator look of his eyes were more than enough to warrant a double take.

“Aye, had a bit of a prong on the way here, but nothing was going to keep me from you sheila. Brought your goods as promised. Two thousand kilos of iron ore and a thousand kilos of coal and-”

He snapped his fingers, bringing one of his men to attention. The grunt stepped forward, presenting a bottle with an elongated neck.

“Brought ya yah favorite wine as well.”

Mai felt the sickly taste of vomit rising in her throat as she watched the two slowly eye fuck one another. Raven gestured for her own goon to take the wine, a pleased smile on her face.

“You always knew the way to my heart.”

“And you to mine.” he smirked as he took a look at the line up of scantily clad men and women.

Most of the them held their head down low, frozen like a statue. It was like if they just held still long enough, his greasy gaze would not come into contact with any of them. Mai kept her head up strong though. She may be bound by the same restraints she had arrived in but she was not going to be subservient to whatever sick things they had in mind. From the look of his face, he seemed disappointed by what he saw at first, turning to Raven like a child about to ask their mother for dessert before dinner.

“Aye, where’s me little bird at? Surely not with some other bloke while I’m present.”

“She is busy with a side project at the moment, do not fret. I’m sure one of these lovely lads and ladies would love to entertain you in the meantime.”

The vomit came all too close to being exorcised from her stomach as they talked about Dove like a prized, fuckable animal. The man _Bambi_ began to click his tongue as he took another gander at the line up. As fortune would have it, his gaze became fixated on Mai herself. It was hard to ignore her, she’d admit that. She stood a whole head size above the other women, and her dual colored eyes and flaming hair were like beacons for unwanted attention. He approached, biting his lower lip, sizing her up.

“Well ain’t you a beaut.” he smirked, grasping a lock of hair.

Mai immediately grabbed him by the wrist with both bond hands, pulling him back from her face. This made him laugh as he attempted to pull his hand away.

“You got a feisty addition to your collection I see.” he remarked as he continued to tug, the agitation in his face growing as Mai refused to let go.

She could snap his wrist right then and there, but then she’d have his goons and Raven’s men on her in no time. To avoid an ineffable ass beating she released him, allowing him to lick his bruised pride. Raven seemed annoyed that he had gone for her in the first place, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“That one just came in yesterday. She hasn’t been broken in yet. Might I suggest one of our other fine merchandise?”

“Nah darling. I want this one. I’m always up for a challenge after all.”

Raven had an inscrutable look on her face as she gestured to her men, “Get a room set up for Mr. Hughes please.”

As the two Highwaymen approached Mai, she immediately began to back away, “Don’t fucking touch me.”

One of the goons raised a long metal looking object with two short prongs on the end, the same kind that she had encountered yesterday. Without warning, the Highwayman jabbed it into Mai’s side, sending her into a violent convulsion as electric shocks coursed through her.. When she refused to move once again, they jabbed it into her once more, sending her to her knees. That last bit took the wind out of her, allowing the two Highwaymen to grab her and haul her away. She was too dazed and literally shocked from the pain she had just endured to notice where exactly they were taking her. All she knew was that the room they threw her in was by definition gaudy. They placed her on the bed, undoing her restraints, leaving her there alone.

Mai groaned as she took a look down, lightly touching the burnt area where she had just been jabbed, wincing with pain. Another scar to add to the collection. She wasn’t alone for long, as the metal door to the room opened. She felt her skin crawl as the man she had contemplated breaking in half entered. He seemed eager to get whatever he had in mind started. His shirt was already on the ground by the time the door shut. She felt revolted by the sight of him as she stood up, moving to the other side of the bed. He seemed entertained by this, like a cat playing with it’s food.

“C'mon darling, no need to be shy.” he said inching closer, “We aren't all savages here. We're just businessmen looking for a bit of entertainment.”

“If you come near me I’ll break your fucking hand.” Mai hissed.

Her threat fell on empty ears as he rounded the bed, backing her into the corner, “I’m getting the feeling your heart’s not really in it, dear. At least give me a smile.”

“I’m going to give you exactly ten seconds to get out of my face.”

“Oh, you callin’ the shots now?” he mused, his hands suddenly on her. 

With one swift shove, her slammed her back against the wall, her head ricocheting forward. This was one of those moments where she wished her lament power would surface. Honestly, since her fight with Ethan, for better or for worse, she never tapped into that power again, or at least had no idea how to trigger it. When she came to, his face was in hers, the stench of his breath causing her nose to scrunch up. He held her in place, his grip surprisingly strong. Buck chuckled as he watched the discomfort on her face continue to fester. Without further warning, he tossed her onto the bed, landing on her stomach. Mai grunted, trying to get up quickly but his palm came to plant itself on the back of her skull, pushing her face into the mattress. 

He began to laugh “I can take you bloody if you like. I like my meat rare.”

Mai’s mind began to race, waiting for the right moment. Her mother had been through something like this once with her Uncle John. Mai would not allow history to repeat itself, not like this. She allowed Buck to think she had conceded to his gestures, her body laxing on the mattress.

“Aye, was that so hard?” he said as he turned her head. 

She hid her disgust as his fingers traced her lips before inserting themselves inside suddenly. Mai waited until he was about to withdraw to open her mouth as wide as it could go and clamp down on his fleshy tendons. He attempted to pull back as he began to holler, but Mai kept her jaw clamped shut. She could taste the metallic taste of blood filling her mouth before he finally violently tugged his fingers out, tearing some skin with it. He was cursing up and down as Mai sat up on the bed, whipping around and spitting blood at him. Buck cradled his hand, as he looked at her, absolutely livid but at the same time with a maniacal smile on his face.

“This is some fucked up foreplay, huh?”

He reached behind his back, reaching for something hidden from her initial view. He pulled out a fairly impressive looking dagger, nearly the same length as his arm. He pointed the tip of the dagger at her as he inched towards her. Seeing the weapon made her long for her knife in that moment. Like her other items, everything had been confiscated the moment she was captured. The moment she was done tearing this asshole apart, she’d go in search of the others and find the sorry soul who had her knife.

She prepared herself for whatever Buck had planned, anticipating him to lunge at her at any moment. His plan was interrupted however by the sound of the door to the room opening. Both Mai and her tormentor looked to see a Highwayman enforcer with weapon in hand standing in the doorway, their helmet concealing their face.

“Aye, bloke-,” Buck shouted obviously irritated, “-can’t you see we’re busy?”

Mai used the distraction to dart forward, thrashing Buck into the wall. Her fist then proceeded to collide with his face, blood splattering as she knocked a tooth out and heard the sickening feeling of his nose breaking under her brute force. She continued until his body went limp. It all happened so fast she wondered if she had killed him from the way he lay there. There was a subtle rise of the chest however, signifying that he was indeed still alive, albeit he was going to wake up in a shit ton of pain. She only wished she could do more but she had another matter to address. She turned to the Highwayman, ready to engage them next. The Highwayman immediately raised their hand before removing their helmet, a fluff of black hair and blue eyes stopping her in her tracks. 

“Thomas.” Mai spoke, her voice nearly cracking as she approached him.

She didn’t allow him a single word, darting over to him and throwing her arms around him immediately. He dropped the helmet to the ground, using his free hand to embrace her.

“I got you, Captain.” he murmured into her tousled hair.

They pulled apart, Thomas taking in the sight of her appearance. Mai felt her face begin to burn with embarrassment, standing there barely clothed. Thomas immediately began to strip down his armor, taking his jacket off handing it to her, leaving himself with just an undershirt and his jeans. Mai took the jacket eagerly, covering herself. There would be time for thanks later, hopefully. Both Mai and Thomas snapped their heads down the hall, hearing the stampede of footsteps headed their way.

Mai looked to Thomas questionably, “I thought there was an emphasis on stealth?”

Thomas shrugged with an almost smug look, “I may have riled up some of the guards getting this back.”

He reached into his boot, handing her a very familiar object. Mai sighed in relief as she took her beloved knife back into her possession. If she ever went another day without this knife, it had better be her last day on this earth. 

Rush took Mai’s hand with a sense of urgency as the sound of Highwaymen guards fast approaching. 

“We need to move.” He said.

Rush clutching onto Mai’s hand, led her through the maze that was the Highwaymen headquarters. The design of the layout seemed purposeful as if to deter any hopeful escapees from actually finding their way out - but luckily Thomas had a whole day to navigate with Dove’s guidance. He ducked through doors and hallways with ease, impressing Mai with how efficient he was, something she had always admired about him. The fact that he had dropped all he had been doing to help her find her brother was...well it was something else entirely.

Eventually, they emerged into a courtyard area overgrown with fauna and trees. Another maze really, but if you looked closely enough, it appeared this area led out to the outside of the former amusement park. Just a quick swim over the river and they’d be on the shore of freedom. Some of the workers tending to the plants in this area paused and looked to the two escapees, wondering what the hell was going on. Mai and Thomas broke into a spring once more. As the twist and turned, Mai heard a familiar sound of a child's laughter somewhere within the garden. She paused, immediately halting Rush as well.

“Did you hear that?” She asked.

“Hear what?” 

Mai did not respond instead she ran to the direction of the laughter. Through some hedges and through a makeshift arch she came upon another clearing. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw him. 

Malik Thomas Seed was sitting among the grass with Ramona, The Raven herself sitting happily by him. Surrounding them were five Highwaymen guards, seemingly oblivious to Mai’s leering presence. The boy and The Raven were playing some sort of game. There was a piece of board or something on the ground and little figurines in various places. Malik moved one such piece and cheered in victory.

“Oh you got me again!” Ramona replied in tone reminiscent of how her mother used to talk to Mai when she was a child. 

“Mai-“ she could hear Rush caution behind her, “Don’t.” 

But Mai was a woman of action, and right now she saw an opportunity to get her brother back in one swift move. The only thing stopping her was Rush’s hand on her shoulder, pleading for her to restrain herself. They both knew she could easily over power him. She did not have to heed to his touch or caution. But she respected him all too much to get themselves captured again. After all, if there was truth to Dove’s word, these Highwaymen that guarded Malik would be pumped up on the substance that gave her her power. Despite it being a diluted amount, four against one did not bode well. 

It was with tearys eyes that Mai gave up her plan of storming ahead, snatching her brother up and then coming back for Roger and Dove. As though knowing he was being watched, Malik looked up the moment Mai began moving away with Thomas. He looked excited to see her, his hand jerking slightly getting ready to wave her over. When he realized she was leaving however, his hand dropped, and she saw the look in his eyes she had not seen since their father died.

The look of heartbreak.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry again for the delay in updates. I will caution I'm starting Fall semester on Monday so there will be another chapter update for Descent sometime this weekend but after that, I'll basically just be updating maybe once a month or something.
> 
> I thank you guys for your patience and for sticking with me, especially if you've been tagging along since the first part of Little Lamb, you guys are amazing. Please enjoy <3

A few hours later

“Why would she leave me?”

“Why indeed my little darling.”

Almost the entire Hub had been called to order in what her mother called the throne room. Dove stood beside her mother, her hands clasped together trying to keep her nerves together. The boy Malik sat upon her mother’s lap, wiping away his tears. Evidently, Mai and Thomas did not know the definition of being discreet, and now, everything was going to hell in a handbasket. Malik had broken down upon seeing his sister in her mother’s garden leaving him without so much as a hello. Now he had spilled the beans that she was indeed his sister, and Ramona was more than happy to console him so long as it meant gathering more information about the fiery redhead. Ramona bounced the boy up and down muttering calming words while hiding her true intentions. She looked around the room, seemingly growing impatient. On the opposite side of the throne stood Buck Hughes, nursing his broken nose that was gifted to him by Mai herself.

“Fucking hell Ramona - we don’t have time for questioning. I want that whore’s head.” he snapped.

Ramona snapped her fingers at him, hushing him, “There is a child present. I expect you to behave.”

Dove kept her gaze down, feeling his sight boring into her. He was probably thinking how this was her fault for not being available to his _needs_. 

“Where is the prisoner?” she exclaimed.

At her feet, her crocodiles Oya and Neph also growled with frustration, hoping that their snack would be coming soon. Dove tried to keep her composure as best as she could as a few moments later, two more of her mother’s guards entered dragging Roger along the floor. They must have beaten him on the way here because he had a black eye that had not been there the last time she saw him a few hours prior. He was cursing in french as they dragged him forward up the steps, halting just right before the trio.

“Uncle Roger.” Malik exclaimed surprised before looking at Ramona, “Why is my Uncle hurt?”

“Oh honey,” Ramona smiled, “They were just playing a bit too hard. Let’s get you a bath and get you ready for bed. I’ll be there in a moment.”

Ramona snapped her fingers, another guard approaching to collect the boy. Malik looked back to Roger, still looking unsettled and concerned.

“Don’t worry about me champ.” Roger replied, “Your Uncle Roger has got everything under control.”

His voice rang with faltered confidence sending a dagger through Dove’s heart though Malik wouldn’t know the difference. Malik went willingly with the guard, poking his head over every few seconds under they left the room completely. Once Malik was no longer present, Ramona’s demeanor changed completely.

“I know you ain’t that boy’s Uncle.” She stayed as she stood up, “I also know you know this mysterious big sister that escaped not less than a mere few hours ago. So you better start talking. What are ya’ll doing here?”

“Va te faire foutre.” he responded as he spat at her feet. 

“Oh honey,” Ramona laughed as she clicked her tongue, “We don’t use that kind of tone here.”

Dove watched with worried eyes as her mother snapped her fingers, calling for Neph, the bigger of the two crocodile twins. Neph’s oversized figure lumbered forward like a docile dog. Dove could imagine Neph licking her chops if she could physically do so, knowing there’s a tasty snack just waiting before her.

“You’re going to start talking and you’re going to tell me everything that my little friend Malik failed to mention.”

The two Highwaymen guards held Roger as Neph opened her mouth, hissing as Roger fidgeted and yelled. Anyone who thought Ramona was bluffing would be sorely mistaken. Ramona did not make empty threats. She fell through with each promise and threat she ever made. This was no different. Roger’s head was full-on inside the croc’s mouth, sending Dove into a panic.

“Stop, stop, stop!” Dove shrieked.

The entire room seemed to turn it’s gaze to the Highwayman mechanic, looks of surprise and suspicion. Ramona gestured to her guards, signaling for them to withdraw Roger’s head from the crocodile's mouth. Neph growled disappointingly as she shut her mouth. Roger looked shocked she had said anything at all. Did he still not truly trust her or was he willing to get his head snapped off to protect Mai and Thomas?

“Dayana, please don’t.” he pleaded.

“Oh,” Raven began to chuckle, “So when exactly were you going to tell me that you two knew each other, little bird?”

“Mom, please don’t do this.” Dove began to beg, her mind racing before coming to the most ridiculous plea for mercy, “I love him.” she blurted.

Dayana wasn’t sure why she thought proclaiming her love for the man she left behind in Hope County would assist in any way, but if he were to somehow suffer the same fate as her father, she wanted to make sure that he knew exactly how she felt about him. Roger’s eyes widened at her statement, his mouth going agape. Meanwhile, Ramona looked at Dove and back to Roger, laughing outrageously.

“Wait, wait, wait, is this him? The _man_ I heard so much about. The one you met in backwoods, redneck, Montana years ago?”, Raven began clapping her hands together, “Oh honey we have got to work on your taste.”

Ramona’s attention was completely on Dayana now, making Dove wish she could just toss herself into a black hole. 

“What else have you been keeping from me? Mhm? What do you know about Malik and his sister?”

Raven began to approach Dove in a way that made her wonder if perhaps she would be the next one to have her head shoved into a crocodile's mouth.

“Why is it a little boy that size has that much radiation in his blood and is still kicking? How did one man infiltrate our ranks and cause a mini-riot? How did one woman manage to escape with no one seeing her... unless she had inside knowledge?”

Raven’s hand shot out so fast Dove did not even have a moment to flinch. Her mother’s hand encompassed her face, her talon-like nails pressing into her cheeks. Dove grimaced as her mother began to push her back, back, back until she was pinned against a wall. Dove reached her hands up, gripping her mother’s wrist. With her newest mechanical addition, Dove did have the capability of easily snapping her mother’s wrist at a moment’s notice, but she knew that would only delay her very possible, inevitable demise. 

“You think cause you’re my own flesh and blood I won’t put you through the ringer for double-crossing me?”

“I told you about the Twin’s coup.” Dove tried to defend herself, “Roger and the others don’t mean any harm.”

Raven’s grip tightened causing Dove to wince, “So you know the others too? Well isn’t this grand.”

“Let her go!” Roger’s voice cut through with a shaking rage.

Dayana and Ramona diverted their gaze to Roger, still being held back by the two Highwaymen guards. Ramona smirked, shooting a glance at Buck and nodding her head. To Dayana’s disgust, Buck came over taking over her mother’s hold on her. Already she could feel the slime creeping off him as he held bent her arms behind her back.

“Don’t worry Sheila, I have a good punishment in store for you later.” He whispered in her ear.

Dove jerked away but had nowhere to go. Her mother was slowly approaching Roger, a glint of malicious intent dazzling in her eyes.

“None of this explains why you-,” Raven pointed to Roger as she drew closer, “-came here in the first place.”

“We came to raid supplies. We found this place on a map in another Highwaymen stronghold. It looked like they were going to attack so we tried to raid it first. That’s it.” Roger uttered, looking past her at Dove with a sympathetic look on his face. 

“Oh, that’s it?” Raven began to laugh maniacally, turning to Buck, “They came here to steal the goods my dear Buck has brought us. From what our hard-working citizens provide for us. Though...this does confirm what I already knew.”

Dayana knew what this meant. The coup against Raven didn’t die with the Twins. This meant the other Highwaymen were making plans to make a hit. It could be weeks from now, it could be hours. While the Capital was quite the fortress, it wasn’t indestructible. But now that her mother had her new secret weapon, found in Malik’s blood, she could amass her own army and become unstoppable.

“Tell me little Frenchie, do you know how that little boy survived the helicopter crash? Does his sister have the same capabilities?”

Roger seemed hesitant but frightened enough that he looked as though he would consider answering. Dove shouted out to him, knowing if he opened his mouth, this would spell disaster for all.

“Roger don’t-” Dove’s words were cut off as a dagger appeared at her throat. Buck pressed the edge of the blade into her skin, moving it gently across nice and slow in an agonizing way. 

Dove clenched her jaw shut as the blade pierced her skin, slowly sawing away at the layers. She whimpered in pain but held steadfast. She could sense the sickening smile etched on Bambi’s face, getting off on the pain that he was inflicting. 

“We don’t want things to get messy.” Buck said, “Tell the beautiful lady what she wants to hear, or I’ll slice this little bird’s throat down to the bone.”

Dayana knew he would not hesitate to cut her throat down to the bone, but she also knew Roger would never admit to Raven the information she craved so badly. He would put the lives of the others over hers. She wanted him to put their lives over hers because she had to atone for her past mistakes. If this was how she did it, then so be it. At the very least, she’d know her debt to Mai would be paid.

Everyone was at a standstill, waiting on Roger’s play. 

“I’ll tell you.” Roger responded, instantaneously causing Dove’s stomach to drop, “I’ll tell you if you don’t hurt her.”

Dove felt her body slump but Buck managed to hold her up. She looked at Roger with utter shock. _How-why?_ The answer was so simple. What was one Highwayman’s life worth versus the life of his friends? Roger kept his gaze down, looking disgusted with himself. Ramona began to clap triumphantly.

“Finally, we’re getting somewhere. There is still one matter to contend with before we get down to business. ”

She snapped her fingers, signaling for Neph to be at attention. Dove sprung up instantly, trying to break Buck’s grip on her, but instead she simply pushed the blade further to her throat. A gurgle of words spilled out of her mouth as she pleaded with her mother as the guards brought Roger once again face to face with Neph. A flurry of curse words escaped his lips as Neph’s mouth opened and the guards stuck on of his hands out, entering the crocodile's mouth.

“You came here with the intention to steal from me.” Ramona chuckled, “Well, honey, I’m going to show you what we do to thieves around here.”

She snapped her fingers, Roger's screams of pain following suite. No one fucked with the Queen.


	15. Chapter 15

“Arghhh!”

The empty building echoed with the howls of a tormented Mai, slamming everything that came to view. Thomas and herself took up residence in what Rush described as a shopping mall. Apparently, hordes of people would come here to buy various items albeit fewer necessities and more materialistic. The place had been picked to its bones though Mai was lucky enough to be able to find clothing that both fit and suited her, replacing the gaudy outfit she had been forced to wear during her short time in Raven’s service. 

They had discussed returning to the settlement that Rush had taken her to after their first encounter but they didn’t want to risk the Highwaymen tracking them there. A patrol had followed them for three miles before they finally lost them in the swamp, and now here they were hours later, hiding out in this creepy, over-sized structure with nothing to show for their efforts. They found a store with all sorts of furniture, beds, chairs, and tables of all different sizes to take their rest and collect themselves. Mai felt selfish in thinking how relieved she was to be sleeping in an actual bed for the night while her best friend was probably cooped up in a cage or worse back in the Hub.

They would rest here for the night before discussing their next course of action in the morning. Nothing could really be done until _La Grosse Patate_ was up and running just as Dove said. They could have the perfect escape plan but no way of escaping the state itself, at least not in a way that would prevent Raven’s forces from tracking them. The last thing Hope County needed was another invasion of Highwaymen, especially ones that had been doped up on Malik’s blood. How they have not had an adverse reaction was beyond her understanding. Was it because the blood had been diluted? Was Joseph’s claims that you needed a clean soul to reap the _blessing_ just bullshit? Why was Ethan buried in a shallow grave while there were Highwaymen walking on the surface who had probably committed a hundred atrocities now jacked up on this stuff.

Thomas had left her to her thoughts as he went to go in search of food and supplies. With Thomas gone, she seized the time of solitude to take out her utter frustration by continuously slamming her fist into the wall. She did not know who to blame: herself for allowing this to happen in the first place or Joseph Seed for giving her mother the apple in the first. Even in death, his presence loomed over her like a storm cloud. His reach from the grave extending so far there was no way of telling where it ended. All she knew was that it was now her brother who was paying the price.

She kept replaying the image of Malik’s disappointed gaze as they left him behind without so much as a word. He looked so innocent, so happy before noticing his sister. He had not been that joyous in a long time, even long before their father died. He was very empathetic so any shift in another person’s mood was sure to disrupt his own. He cared so much and felt too much of everything. She wondered if he had felt their father’s life draining away, explaining his ups and downs months before Jacob’s actual passing.

The sight of him laughing and smiling with Raven made her want to vomit, especially when she imagined their mother back in Hope County wretched with grief not knowing where her children were. Had her mother not been through enough? Was the universe testing her resolve or was this it’s the last attempt at finally breaking the Lamb down. Mai wondered if her mother would ever forgive for this disaster she had bestowed upon their family though she understood if perhaps that was beyond her mother’s compassionate nature. Mai had become so entranced by her own thoughts she did not realize Thomas’ hands grabbing for her, attempting to stop her mindless pummeling. 

“Mai- Jesus fucking Christ-” he spoke like the air was being drawn out of his body.

Mai looked at him, still stuck in a semi-trance as he held her hands. Seeing him relieved her of her darker thoughts, instead, they were pushed aside with more intimate imaginations. She could only see the top of his head as he gazed at her hands. She wondered how it would feel if she were to run her fingers through it. She looked down, seeing that the bloodied skin had been whittled down to near the bone. Thomas had dropped everything he had been carrying to examine the damage she had done to herself. He pulled her over to one of the many available chairs in the store, sitting her down as he crouched before her, quickly navigating the medical supplies he had just raided to bandage up her hands.

“What has gotten into you?” Thomas asked, his comment coming off a bit condescending.

Mai, completely snapping back to reality, retracted her hands immediately, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Thomas, still remaining crouched ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it up in the process, “Charging ahead into danger back at the zoo, getting captured. Nearly doing the same thing again when you saw Malik in the garden-”

“Thomas- that is my brother. He and Roger are both in danger, what else am I supposed to do.” she nearly spat, her voice becoming hoarse and strained. 

Already she felt her throat tighten as she choked back tears, “I can’t just wait for some plan that you and Dove haven’t even conceived yet.”

He sighed as he reached back for her hands, rubbing them with his thumb in a delicate manner.

“You are so brave and strong but you’re not indestructible Mai. If anything happened to you, I don’t know what I would do.”

There were a handful of words Mai would associate with Thomas: tenacity, selfless, benignant, composed. There was one word she’d never thought she’d use though: afraid. She was shocked to see a look of pure fear on his face as he held tightly onto her hands. Thomas had lost a lot over his lifetime. The world he knew before was long gone. His wife from before was of parading with the band of raiders who had kidnapped Mai as a teenager. His daughter was with family but who could tell when he would ever see her again, especially after Mai stumbled into his life once again, dragging him into the face of danger. Despite that, it was he that was scared for her. As though she could not feel any worse, she finally broke down into tears. Every catastrophe, every family member and friend that had been captured or hurt by their enemies had been indirectly caused by her whether others agreed or not. 

“I don’t know what to do, Thomas. Dove is right. I can’t solve any problem that doesn’t involve stabbing or just massacring Highwaymen. Now I’ve nearly dragged everyone I love into this hell with me.”

All because she could not bear to come to terms that her father was gone and that she and her mother had never stopped grieving. If she had only stayed and spoken with Nayeli, none of them would be here now. She envisioned how disappointed her father must be, watching her from whatever plane of existence he found himself in. She felt Rush tug on her hands, causing her to snap her attention back to him from the plethora of thoughts running rampant in her head. 

“Mai, none of this is your fault. We may be at a bit of a disadvantage but we’re not out of the game yet.” He spoke smoothly, disarming her in an instant, “You don’t have to shoulder the burden all yourself either. You asked me to help so please trust me to carry some of that burden and let me help you.”

The way he looked at her made her feel like she was going to dissolve at any moment. He knew exactly how to calm her, even with just a look and a simple touch. Mai tightened her fingers around his, leaning in towards him. She imagined kissing him right then and there. What better way to let out her frustration? To finally release the tension she’s held for all these years? Instead, she settled on nestling her forehead against his which, in a strange way, felt more intimate than the kiss she had imagined. They closed their eyes, taking collective sighs. 

“I trust you with my life.” She replied as she pulled away. 

Rush looked up at her with those blue pools he called eyes and that same dorky smile she had longed for to see again.

“We should rest up.” Rush stood, smirking at a joke that remained in his head. He took one look around the store, “Well there’s sleeping options galore. Guess you can have your pick first.”

Mai got up immediately and took the bed closest to them. She did not want to spend time looking for the comfiest option. She stripped down to her underwear to get more comfortable, unaware of the blood rushing towards Thomas’ face. Rush had already seen her nearly naked today so this was nothing. Her body was overworked and crying for release and all she wanted was to lay down. Her mind was in a war with itself and she just needed somewhere to rest her head even if for a moment. She sat on the edge of the bed, looking at him expectantly. Thomas shifted a bit uneasily, clearing his throat as he pulled at his collar.

“Something else on your mind?” He asked.

The way she sat there, well, Rush wasn’t going to lie, she looked fucking gorgeous. Since she came back into his life, he knew he was done for. The day he left Hope County after the Twin's defeat was the day he died a little inside. Traveling on the road at one another’s side had built a bond stronger than anything he had ever encountered. Up till now, he had seen her as both a best friend and a professional partner. Seeing the woman she had grown into though, it was hard keeping certain thoughts at bay. 

“I-“ she hesitated, “I just don’t want to be by myself right now.” Her fingers traced the bloodied bandages as she looked away, “Would you mind sleeping beside me?” she asked.

He felt as though the collar of his shirt began to tighten around his throat. He scratched the back of his head, a nervous tick. He was working himself up over nothing. She wasn’t asking him to sleep with her. Well, she was but not in that way. She stared at him with those sharp-angled eyes. She almost looked like a predatory feline, waiting to see if her prey was going to take the bait or not. 

Mark him as a fool, but he bit the bait. He nodded, visibly conceding to her request. She scooted further inward, allowing him to crawl onto the bed. She laid on her side facing inward, making him wonder if he should face away or towards her, once again overthinking the whole thing. 

“Rush, come on.” She laughed, “It’s not a trap.”

“Oh, I don’t think you’ve known the women I’ve known.”

He cursed himself realizing how that sounded. Mai, however, shrugged it off, her tone a mix of mocking and playfulness, “Have you been the acquaintance of many women since we parted Mr. Rush?”

He finally laid beside her, staring face to face as he exhaled the breath he had been holding in for fear of her reaction to his earlier comment. He looked over her face. She had circles under her eyes, lack of sleep probably lasting over the course of a few months since Jacob Seed had passed. Even the whites of her eyes were plagued with streaks of red, a mixture of exhaustion and crying. Still, she was a beautiful specimen.

“No.” he replied sharply, “Only ever had one on my mind. I just didn’t realize it until now.” 

He watched her expression as her smug look dissipated into one of recognition of what he was trying to say. Rush took her hand and brought it up to his face, gently kissing each knuckle separately. Her hands were calloused and rough, much like his own. Where others would prefer smooth, velvet-like skin, he would take her rugged hands over anything else simply because they belonged to her and for a moment he was allowed to touch them. It was a privilege given to none except him in that moment. A small gasp escaped her mouth as he repeated this gesture with her other hand to which she withdrew almost immediately. Thomas, feeling wholeheartedly embarrassed began to apologize.

“I’m sorry. There’s someone back home isn’t there?”

Rush immediately began to picture someone, anyone taking the place of where he wanted to be. He simply wanted to hold her, whisper into her ear how much she meant to him and to feel her skin under his lips as he explored every inch and margin of her body. She was an amazon carved out of marble and he wanted nothing more than to show his appreciation for such a beautiful human being. Her bravery, her devotion to those she loved and the need to protect those who could not protect themselves. She was not meant for this world. She was beyond anything this world could ever deserve. 

Mai shook her head in response to his question, biting her lower lip as she hesitantly reached out to touch his chest. His heart was racing so fast he wanted to get up and walk outside for air, but she traced her fingers over the hem of the neckline of his shirt, keeping him exactly where he was.

“There’s no one else.” she replied, “but I don’t think right now is the best time to get into it.”

She scooted down some, adjusting to compensate for their differences in height before nuzzling the top of her head just under his chin as she came to rest her face against his chest. Her arms encompassed him, tucking under his arms. He too blanketed her with his hands and arms, bringing her closer to him in a protective manner. He peered down, seeing her feet nearly hanging off the bed. She was her father’s daughter alright. He let out a low chuckle, feeling her cheeks perk up as she smiled.

“Don’t make fun of me.” she remarked.

“Would never dream of it Cap.”

\-----

Thomas Rush awoke not knowing whether it was day or night, dusk or dawn due to the lack of windows in the structure that had once been a shopping mall. All he knew was that his body had decided it was a good time to wake up and it would not be going back down without a fight. Lucky for him, he had more than enough reason to stay in place. His eyes fluttered open as they quickly began adjusting to the darkness of their surroundings. He turned his head just enough to see a mound of red hair rested upon his chest, sleeping peacefully. Mai’s hand was tucked between his chest and her cheek, her leg having been snugly wrapped around him at some time during their slumber. She was snoring softly, absolutely gone off in a realm of pure bliss it seemed. Rush smiled as he poked his head up ever so slightly, making sure he did not wake her but also wanting a better look at her.

Her mouth was slightly agape. The culprit behind the snoring he had heard throughout the night. The girl was not a graceful sleeper. When they first began their journey to Hope County, she’d sleep anywhere at any angle, almost like a cat. He laughed to himself thinking how simple life had been then. They were just two individuals on a mission then: trying to return her to the family she had been torn from. Their journey after that was something straight out of a Hollywood movie. There was no doubt in his mind that he would have been dead without her. She had saved him more times than he could count, but yet he felt an intense need to protect her. Not from just the dangers that lurked outside, but from the demons inside her own head. For the first time in years, since defeating the Twins, she looked content which brought immeasurable warmth to Rush’s heart. These last few days had been quite the wake-up call in terms of his burgeoning feelings for the Seed girl, or rather woman he should now say.

It was difficult to look at her and not see the girl he had known so long ago. Just yesterday, she was perhaps a few inches shorter than he, with braids in her hair and a sour gaze that would off-put many others except those closest to her. Today, she hovered easily over him, her hair a wild mane of fire set loose for the world to see, and her gaze sharp enough to kill if she willed it so. He took his hand and traced the outline of her jaw, strong and angled. She stirred slightly but it was not enough to wake her. Unable to contain himself, he seized the opportunity to lower his hand down to her waist. Using that same finger, he gently traced the curvature of her body, dipping down and rising with each arc. She stirred again, this time opening her eyes lazily. They shut almost immediately but as he continued his gentle motion, she finally opened her eyes all the way.

She propped herself on her unused arm, her other hand still remaining on his chest. Mai was not all too sure how she had not wound up alone in the bed by this point. She had anticipated Rush leaving at some point, only granting her earlier request out of courtesy for an old friend. Mai looked down at his finger trailing her body, sending a shiver through her with every inch he covered. He seemed unfazed as he looked up at her with eyes that could only be described as doleful, as though he were scared this moment was going to end before it could even begin. Mai looked down at him, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear before coming to rest her hand back on his chest.

Without a word, Thomas leaned upward, mimicking her pose. He knew what he wanted, it was a matter of if she wanted the same thing as well. His hand came to rest upon the dip in her waist, rubbing both out of need and acknowledgment that she was hesitating. The growing tension between her legs spoke volumes of what she wanted but was she willing to risk their friendship and history to give in to this one act of selfishness. She took the hand that rested upon his chest and ran it along his arm, feeling every muscle before reaching his shoulder. She then dragged her hand back down, her fingers trailing much as he did.

With one last glance at one another, she leaned in, her mouth encompassing his. It was long and drawn out, Rush’s mouth warm and welcoming as their lips collided gently against one another. They held that first kiss for as long as they could stand. For Mai, this was the accumulation of passing glances and thoughts better left unacted upon. For Thomas, it was the confirmation that she was the only one for him. He gripped her waist at that moment, deepening the kiss before relinquishing to one, two, three chaste kisses before pulling apart. 

They broke apart, faces less than an inch from one another. Still grasping onto one another, Thomas seized the momentary break to take in the sight of her once more. His eyes flickered over every inch of her face and occasionally peering down to see his hand still gently running along her waist. She was beauty incarnate and he was at her every whim. His fingers became entangled with the rim of her lower layer of clothing, pausing to ensure this was something she wanted. Mai responded with aggressively tugging down on his jeans and everything underneath. As they lay there with their bottoms bare, he traced along the inner area of her thighs, causing her to grasp his arm just a bit harder than last time. Seeing as how he was having fun exploring her body, she trailed her hand back to his chest, feeling every ripple, every muscle under her fingertips. They watched one another’s hands like two careful dancers, moving in sync with the other’s movement. 

Without any warning, Rush’s hand drifted just below her bottom, gripping her firmly as he urged her to come upward. Mai returned her hands to his shoulders, grabbing him as she hoisted herself over him. Rush sat up as she straddled him, the heat of their lower halves intensifying in a way that was unbearable for both parties. With her securely on, the two removed their tops, the last piece of clothing keeping them from being completely skin to skin. Once the clothes were off, their hands raced for one another, their lips hungrily grasping at the others. Mai ran her hands through his tousled hair, gripping and pulling, ensuring their lips could not part. Rush grazed his hands along her back pressing his fingers into her as though afraid she could disappear from his grasp at any second. Their tongues intertwined in sophisticated movement, the heat of the moment prompting Mai to begin shifting her hips against him.

Thomas pulled away to look down and watch as she teased him as she continued to graze alongside his hardening member. He looked back up at her just in time to catch her smiling mischievously at him. Thomas retaliated by grasping her hair, pulling her head back as his lips began to trail along her jaw and down her neck. Mai gasped as she leaned back, using her hands to hold herself up, allowing him access to her battle-scarred chest. Thomas paid special attention to the scars that littered her body. Gunshot scars, stabs and scratches. He kissed each one he came across and trailed his tongue along others, each marking a reminder of all the lives she had saved and how much she had sacrificed. He wanted to show appreciation for all that she did. Occasionally he’d grasp her breast, placing his mouth over it while his hand fondled the other. He could hear Mai’s deep breathing and the subtle thumping of her heart, prompting him to raise his hands up to her face, clasping them around her.

He slipped his tongue into her, another passionate kiss ensuing. Mai’s hands migrated from his shoulders, moving along his arms until she firmly grasped his wrists. She pushed forward unexpectedly, pinning him to the bed with his arms over his head. She never thought she’d ever have him in this way. Years of pining and wishing. He looked up at her with sheer surprise before smirking. She knew that look all too well and knew he was up to no good. Mai had made one crucial mistake - she had let her guard down thinking she had the upper hand. Thomas pushed upward, using the moment to flip her onto her back. Mai looked up at him in a mixture of both shock and adoration. Thomas and Mai always had a way of communicating without words. Be it through hands touching or a simple move of the eyes, they knew one another inside and out better than anyone else. So when her eyes begged him to finish what they had started and he was more than happy to oblige. It wasn’t long before his full weight was pinning her against the bed’s surface. He was taking his time, his lips once again trailing parts of her skin, this time showing some love the scars that marred her face. He first kissed the one just under her eye and then the one located at the corner of her lip, her lips opening as an involuntary reaction, wanting to taste him again. She had no idea what to focus on. There was the throbbing ache between her legs that begged to be quenched. She felt the head of his shaft teasing her as he adjusted himself, taking one final look at the woman who had always been his beloved. He entered her with such a rush she gasped embarrassingly loud.

He grinned at her, his blue eyes taking in every slight twitch of her lips as he began to shift his hips. She wrapped her arms around his back, pressing her fingers into him as her hips moved against him, wanting to get as much of him as possible. She could not help but shudder with each thrust, trembling and moaning as they melted into each other. Her head rolled to the side as she moved her hands to clutch onto his biceps. She could feel the growing sensation of quietus threatening to take her. Rush’s motions started off slow and following into a rhythm, his face buried itself into the nape of her neck as he lightly kissed her.

Mai wrapped her legs around his waist as he began to space apart the thrusts, replacing them with long deep strokes. His kisses paused as he moaned into the side of her neck, reaching for her hands and pinning them much as she had done to him. Mai cried out as his gripped her wrists, his hips heaving into her. Her voice trailed throughout the room, becoming higher in pitch before crying out as she finished. Rush continued for a few more seconds, finishing with one last thrust and low growl.  
Rush fell back onto the bed as Mai lay there panting and shivering. Thomas crawled beside her, pulling her against him, providing her with some warmth with his own body. She struggled to catch her breath, as he showered her shoulder with kisses, then raised a hand to her chin, tilting her face towards him, kissing her gently.

He stared into her eyes, caressing her cheek. His eyes almost looked pained at the sight of her. There was nothing to be said. When she first laid eyes on him, her life was hanging by a thread. He, like a guardian angel, swooped in and had saved her on that fateful day, and every day forward after that she made sure to repay him by protecting him in any way she could. 

She watched as he took her hands, undoing the bandages he had placed on her earlier. He stared in amazement that it was nearly healed already. His fingers traced gently over them, admiring. Seeing this made her realize how fragile everyone around her was. How easily it could be to just tear them away from her. She knew that this moment of bliss could only be just that, because she knew if they took this any further, something terrible was bound to happen. 

She could not afford to let her feelings for Thomas to get in the way of rescuing Malik and Roger, as much as it pained her to admit. The two of them lay silent, Thomas’ eyes drifting shut into a soft, sudden slumber, his arm coming to rest over her. Mai stroked the hair atop of his head as she thought about a life where the two of them could be together, always. It was a futile dream. She knew he’d never give up his quest to rebuild the country, even if he got nothing in return. Even if he did accomplish his goal, she knew he would return to which he came from to be with his daughter Mila, while Mai would be in Hope County, vowing to never live another day separated from her family. 

Crisis had thrown them together time and time again. She dragged him to hell and back time and time again. If that was what it took to be together, she was not sure she had the strength to keep up. Nor could she deal the emotional fallout if anything happened to him, directly or indirectly caused by her. 

The knowledge their journey would eventually come to an end and they’d go their separate ways brought tears to her eyes. She leaned in and kissed him on his forehead knowing this had been the first and last time they’d ever be like this. For both their sakes, it had to be.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the delay in updates - I might have failed to mention this is my senior year so I am like super duper busy and I'll be having surgery soon so that's been occupying a lot of my time just getting prepared for that (on top of work, YIPEE).
> 
> Thank you to those who are still around! We're nearing the end I promise <3

Thomas Rush knew not what else to do except interlace his fingers with Mai’s as his hips moved against her. Time was a construct at this moment, having lost sight of it once again as they awoke from their earlier tryst. They had begun to lazily grasp at one another, exchanging soft, chaste kisses compared to their earlier, ravenous hungerings. Mai’s fingers were plunged into the mattress as he worked behind her, entering her nice and slow. His face was buried into her nape, listening to her soft gasps like it was the sweetest music he had ever heard. Having her engulfed around him was a euphoric experience he could never begin to describe or form into coherent words.

They knew time was of the essence, but who was to say when they’d have another moment like this again. Fate had brought them together again and he wanted to cherish it for as long as he could muster. When they finished, he laid atop her, pecking her neck with sensual kisses, his body still eager to go another round. Mai however looked distant, her mind elsewhere. Rush paused wondering if he had done something to upset her.

“Was it that bad?” He jested, trying to gauge her thoughts.

She snapped to attention as she adjusted herself to face him, looking apologetic. She said nothing at first, instead, choosing to brush her fingers along his stache.

“No. No. It was…” she sighed with a smile, “Absolutely amazing.”

Thomas moved himself, allowing her to lay on her back as he looked down at her. She traced his bicep with the tips of her fingers, moving up as the traced the wings of his eagle tattoo.

“I was just thinking about what comes after we get Malik and Roger.”

He could hear the lack of confidence and sadness in her voice. He had an inkling of an idea about what she was referring to but he wanted the words to come from her mouth. 

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“What I mean is that I’m in love with you.” she spoke hoarsely, like every word she spoke caused her physical pain, “But we can’t be together.”

Rush was left speechless as she began to dress herself, her back now turned to him. After everything they had been through. After the love they had just shared, there was no way she could just walk away from that with such ease.

“That’s not true.” he countered, “You are everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything that I love.”

She was unmoved by his words as she stood up from the bed. Mai had begun to move quickly, purposely avoiding his eyes. She began gathering her things and various supplies like a whirlwind, leaving him scrambling to get dressed. By the time he slipped on his shirt she was already heading out into the main area. He rushed to put on the rest of his clothing, trotting after her. She was a few stores ahead of him, dipping into what appeared to be an electronics store. He followed her, continuously calling her by name. He was desperate to change her mind. Desperate to let her know that he knew this life was unconventional but it didn’t matter. He could no longer deny that wherever she went, he wanted to be right beside her, always. 

He entered the store, seeing her fiddle with what appeared to be an old HAM radio. The fact that these were still in production at the times the bombs dropped was a miracle in of itself. She worked around the wires, connecting it to some portable generator she had seized from elsewhere within the shop.

“Mai.” Thomas called, seeing that she was still avidly ignoring him.

“Mai.” his voice grew louder, giving her reason to pause.

She slowly turned to him, looking as though she were in trouble. He knew not what else to say except to tell her how much he loved her. How she had changed his life entirely and how glad he was to have her in his life. He should have. He wished he did.

“You’ve seen what happens to the people I care about.” she uttered, seizing the monetary pause for herself, “Anyone who gets within three feet of me has their life to death ratio go up exponentially.” 

She began listing names of those either severely hurt or deceased. Barnes. Joseph. Ethan. Dove. Nayeli. Jacob. Malik. Roger. Himself. The volunteers on the train, the people of New Eden and Prosperity who got caught in the middle of the war with the Twins...She was taking responsibility for everything that happened to them. As though it were an omen. Rush began to approach her but she held her hand up, cautioning him to stay back. 

“I don’t want you to get hurt because of Thomas.”

Rush began to sigh, “Mai, all of that was out of your control.” he tried to assure her, “My life has been threatened plenty of times long before we met. You can’t scare me off.”

“No? Well what about Mila?” She asked.

Hearing his daughter’s name was a lot like get 1000 volts of electricity shot through his body. It felt like another lifetime since he had seen her. How long had it been though really? Almost a decade now? Thomas remained speechless as Mai continued tinkering with the radio.

“You know,” she stated, “It was on one of these radios that I first heard my father's voice.”

Her voice was beginning to shake and falter cause her to plant her hands down on the counter to compose herself.

“There wasn’t much to do for a four year old stuck in a bunker forty feet below the surface so my mom introduced me to this voice on the other side of the radio. Told me it was my imaginary friend, a bear named Mr. Cheeseburger.”

This got a laugh out of her, causing his heart to soar. But it was fleeting. Her eyes quickly soured as they reflected on the memory.

“I was talking to my father and I had no idea. I thought my real father was sleeping just down the hall. Four years I missed out on. Add another two when the raiders came and took me.”

She paused twisting and turning the knobs on the radio looking for a signal to wipe back tears that began to form. Thomas was inclined to approach her but he had a feeling she did not want to be touched or consoled - she just wanted him to listen. 

“I wasn’t there when he passed and I hate myself for it. What if something happened to Mila and you aren’t there?”

“That’s not fair Mai. Don’t go there.” Thomas said defensively, “It’s my job to try and help those who need it.”

Mai looked at him with scrutiny, “It’s not your job to do anything. You can go home to Mila at any point. You can walk away from this and just go home. I can’t. I only bring violence and death everywhere I go.” she huffed, grabbing the bridge of her nose as though this conversation was giving her a headache, “I’m going to get Malik and Roger. I’m going to get them home, and then I’m leaving.”

“Mai, you can’t just run away.” Thomas tried to talk some sense into her, “We could all go home. Together. I understand your guilt, God believe me I know. Please think about what you’re saying.”

Mai stood idly, her hand now gripping the counter, her teeth biting into her lower lip so hard he was frightened she may rupture the skin. Her face began to soften, allowing him some relief. 

“How is it that you have such sway over me?” she said.

Thomas took this as a safe sign to approach. He walked up to her, cupping her face in his hands causing her to look down at him. 

“No sway.” he smirked as she began to lean into him, “Just the utter most respect and love for you.”

Mai rolled her eyes, “God, you’re so corny.” 

“Wow, that's the one I haven’t heard in years.”

They both laughed before Mai placed her mouth over his. She was the warmth in an unsympathetic world, and the anchor that kept him grounded. Once this was said and done, once they got Malik and Roger back to Hope County, he would return to the West coast and get Mila. They’d go to Hope County, the home he never knew he had been missing, to be with the woman he could not live without. 

A loud-high pitched static sound interrupted the tender moment, causing both lovers to snap their heads to the HAM radio. There was the faintest semblance of a voice on the other end. Mai broke apart and began adjusting the knobs slightly, allowing the signal to come in with a bit more clarity. 

“-Come on down and see. Repeat that shit.”

Thomas and Mai looked at each other with equal confusion before the message began to replay.

“This is to the Big Barda lookin’ witch who thinks she can make a fool outta me.” 

“Raven.” Mai growled.

The woman’s voice came in loud and clear now, her presence filling the room without actually physically being there. He watched as Mai’s face turned stern before shifting between anger and confusion as Raven’s broadcast continued.

“I know your little secret. I know my little friend Malik here is near and dear to your heart.” 

There was a slight whimper in the background, unmistakably that of a young child. Realizing it was Malik caused Mai’s eyes to widen.

“Now, if you wanna keep him in one peace, you’re gonna oblige to my demands and present yourself for a parlay - or he’s going to end up like your little Frenchie. Come on down and see. Repeat that shit.”

Rush could feel his chest tighten, his mind lingering on Ramona’s words… The audio recording continued, fueling Mai’s rage as her body began to shake. He began to reach out to her, but she jolted forward, grasping the HAM radio and slamming it on the ground. She roared in a primal manner that for a moment, Rush could feel the blood drain from his body.

“I’m going to kill her.” she uttered as she began patting herself, looking for something. She pulled her knife from her back pocket, staring at it for a moment before placing it back, “I’m going to kill her.”

“Mai-look at me, look at me.” Rush extended his hands out to her, but she reacted in a way that he nearly thought she was going to draw her knife on him. It was a blink and you’d miss it moment, but he swore steam began to erupt from her body, her eyes a quick hint of red before reverting back to normal, reminiscent of her final showdown with Ethan Seed.

He immediately began to back up, his hands raised defensively, “Mai?” he cautioned.

She looked shocked by her own action, her hand clasping over her mouth, “Thomas, I’m sorry.” 

He saw the struggle in her eyes. The look of a frantic creature. She did not know where to stop and where to begin. The ominous message Raven had delivered left them both shaking, especially since it left Roger’s fate up for debate. 

“I have to go.” she uttered, turning her back on him.

Thomas called out her name, but she was gone almost as quickly as she had uttered her words. He ran after her into the main area of the mall, his voice continued to echo through the empty chambers and stores. There was no doubt in his mind where she was going. The real question was, what was she planning to do?


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys - so, such is my life, we had a huge family emergency this past week with sort of derailed all my plans to get back on track for my fics. But surprisingly I did manage to come up with a bit of something and began working on the next few chapters. Thank you again for the patience and support - this has been quite possibly the most stressful week of my life so I'm grateful to those who have stuck with me <3 Please enjoy!

_A few months prior_.

It was another average day in Prosperity. Bright clear skies. Children ran with vigor in the courtyard without a care. The adults were tending to the usual - making sure the walls were sturdy and that everyone was in tip top shape. On the outside looking in, nothing seemed out of place - but for Mai and her family, their lives were slowly rounding a turning point. A point of no return. 

Mai’s eyes were locked on her mother and Aunt Vittoria who spoke in hushed whispers by the infirmary exit. Her mother was a streak of dried tears decorating her face as Vittoria pulled her in for a hug. As the newest leader of the reestablished New Eden, Vittoria came at Nayeli’s request today to say last rites over the man who made Mai’s existence possible.

Mai shifted in her seat, redirecting her sight to her father. He lay on the infirmary bed, sound as could be. He looked the most relaxed she had ever seen him. His chest rose and subsided steadily, his head cocked towards her, a small snore escaping from his slightly parted lips. He was a lot thinner than he had ever been, a result of natural degeneration. His red hair had finally gave into gentle coils of white. It was in this state that he truly resembled his brother Joseph. 

That name alone left a strange tugging feeling in her stomach. Where did Joseph go after his death? Was Ethan there as well? Would her father go join them? Would she ever see him again? 

Curled up beside her father was the tiny figure of her brother. Malik looked more like their mother but you could tell by looking into his eyes he was their father’s son through and through. He too was sound asleep, his head tucked into their father’s chest. Mai reached out to brush the curly brown hair that masked his head. She was glad her father and mother had conceived because in her mind, it allowed both of them to make up for the lost time they had to endure with Mai’s own birth. 

As Mai’s hand began to retreat, a scarred hand reached out and grasped her weakly. The Seed girl looked up to see the eyes of her father open, albeit semi-awake. One foot in the land of the living and one foot in what comes after. Mai secured her fingers around her father’s hand, resting it on his bedside.

“Hey dad.” she murmured with a weak smile.

It took a moment for him to comprehend that she was speaking. He was dazed but his fingers entangled with hers securely, ensuring they would not slip out.

“Pup.” he responded weakly.

Just the word alone seemed to drain his energy as his eyes shut momentarily. Mai brushed her thumb gently across his hand, “It’s okay dad. Save your strength.”

Jacob was not one to save his strength though - he reopened his eyes, this time a bit wider and more awake. His fingers tightened as he stared right into her making sure she was paying attention to what he had to say. For a moment, he looked like the father she had always known. Sturdy, strong faced, eyes sharp enough to pierce your soul but also a softness only reserved for his family. It was a fleeting moment, but Mai knew she’d hold onto it for as long as she lived.

“You watch over the little lamb for me.” he teased, a slight smirk appearing on his face as he spoke about her mother, “She deserves everything that I could not give her.”

“I’ll do my best to make sure she takes it easy but you know her.” Mai smirked.

The two smiled and spoke in unison, “She’s stubborn though.”

The father and daughter chuckled as they both looked down at Malik. There was nothing to be said that couldn’t be communicated with a look. Mai knew that when her father was gone, it would be up to her to be the main protector of her family. She would do her best to ensure that Malik did not repeat the same vicious childhood or teenage years that she had to endure. He would grow up knowing he had a father who loved him, and a mother and sister who would do anything to protect him. 

Malik stirred slightly, but nuzzled his face back into his father’s side. When he woke up, there would be a high possibility that their father would be gone. Mai envied him for it, but she valued the last few hours she had left with the man known as Jacob Seed.

“You’re well aware of the things I put your mother and these people through before we had you.. ” Jacob said as he untangled his hand, grasping Mai by her chin. 

The young woman nodded in acknowledgement to her father’s crimes. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that Jacob Seed had committed atrocious actions during the ill fated time of Eden’s Gate. Her mother had seen past that though and gave him a chance at a new life and from it, two children to carry on his newfound legacy.

“Don’t make the same mistakes your Uncle made. That I made.” he paused, every breath he spoke now taking his energy bit by bit.

“Build people up. Help them become strong. Build a better future than what Joseph had planned. You and your brother be everything that I could never be.” he said.

“Please don’t get all sappy on me.” Mai tried to muse but his words stuck with her like the ghosts that used to haunt her in her childhood. Jacob held onto her chin until she gave her the answer he needed to hear.

“I promise I’ll do my best.” she finally broke. She looked down at Mallik’s sleep figure, realizing the responsibility that was being placed on her.

She spoke on Malik’s behalf, “We promise.”

“I know you will pup.” he smiled.

The ongoing interaction drew the attention of her mother, who proceeded over slowly, not wanting to interrupt the father-daughter moment. Mai and her mother made eye contact, acknowledging one another. Her mother’s face was flushed from crying earlier, and it seemed like she was revving back up to release some more tears. Mai stood up, unable to bear witness to what was coming. She leaned over her father, placing a gentle kiss on his head. They murmured _I love you_ before she proceeded to scoop Malik’s tiny form into her arms. The boy could sleep through an earthquake for all she knew. He was perfectly content in whatever dream world he was in, oblivious to the heartache happening around him. 

Nayeli circled the bed, looking to take Mai’s spot as she departed. The two women embraced one another, kissing each other on the cheek. It was hard to fathom what life would be like after this day. Mai had her back turned to her parents as she proceeded to leave the room, but she could hear the pure joy in Jacob’s voice as he saw the sight of his wife.

“Little Lamb.” 

“Jacob my beloved.”

Their words grew distant and quiet until Mai left the room completely. She took Malik back up to his room in the main building, tucking him into his bed. She sat on the edge of his bed, sighing as she tried to decompress the emotions stirring inside. She was not prepared for a life without her father. With her mother, he had taught her everything she needed to survive - but now how to live without one of the people she loved most. Part of her wished Thomas was here so she could seek his advice. His comfort. His soulful presence. As though feeling her turmoil, a tiny hand reached out, grazing her wrist. 

Mai looked down over her shoulder, seeing Malik’s large eyes peering up at her from under his blanket.

“Is dad going to get better?” he asked in a quiet voice.

Mai tried to act as assuringly as she could by brushing a coil of hair out of his face, “He’s strong. But he needs sleep. Just like you do little mister.”

Malik remained silent for a moment as she continued brushing his hair. She did this for a few minutes before he poked his entire face out from the blanket. Malik was many things: beautiful, innocent, a bit naive, but he was not stupid. 

He saw past her facade and asked, “Is he going to come say goodbye before he goes?”

Mai stared at him, unsure of what to say. That their father was not going to make it till dawn? 

She did what she did best and avoided answering the question. The two sat in silence, prompting Malik to pull his blanket up to his face, realizing she was not willing to answer his inquiry.

“Will you stay with me?” he asked, figuring this would be a much more acceptable question, “I don’t want to be by myself.”

Mai nodded, prompting him to scoot over in the tiny bed. Mai tried to scrunch her tall figure into the bed, her brother locking his arms around her immediately making it extremely difficult to get comfortable, but she did her best to assure that Malik was at ease. The boy fell asleep almost immediately, leaving Mai wide awake with her own thoughts. Her father’s impending death left a heavy responsibility on her shoulders. One she did not want to bear, especially after all they had overcome years prior. But she would take on the world to protect her mother and brother. She would live up to her promise to her father and keep his memory with her even as she laid there with tears streaming down her face. Mai nuzzled her face into his hair, for a moment, imagining that she was holding her father one last time.

“I’m going to take care of you and mom.” she murmured into his brown locks of hair, “I promise I will.”


	18. Chapter 18

“This is my fault. This is my fault.”

Dove paced back and forth before the cell that Roger sat in, unable to comprehend the predicament that they now found themselves in. Roger looked bleak and pale with each passing hour but he still managed to keep a slight smile etched on his face. The stump where his hand had been wrapped crudely, the blood seeping through signaling it needed to be changed once more. For all the high tech medical gear they had here, it seemed it was now only reserved for whatever plan her mother had in store with Malik’s blood.

Once her mother injected enough of their people with the boy’s blood, they would have the means to topple the remaining enemy Highwaymen outposts with just a handful of people. Eventually, her mother will turn them onto local settlements, and then from there, the rest of the country. 

“Mon amour.” Roger spoke for the first time in what seemed like days, reaching his still intact hand out through the bars, “It’s going to be okay.”

Dove paused to look at him, nearly aghast, “How can you say that? You heard the radio broadcast. My mother is using Malik is bait and you and I both know Mai is going to chomp down hard and fast. The moment she steps even a mile of this place my mother is going to snatch her up.”

Roger said nothing as he continued to hold his hand out to her, his blue eyes staring at her patiently. Dove crossed her arms, biting her lower lip, fidgeting until deciding to finally sit down against the bars. She took Roger’s hand and placed it in her lap. She turned it over allowing her to trace the lines of his palm with the tip of her finger, imagining that there was a secret hidden in the lines. A secret that would see him and the others safely out of here. She kept her head down, listening closely to Roger’s rattled breathing. He would not last another week here in these conditions - but their only hope was very well on her way back ready to spring her mother’s trap. Dove kept her head down as she continued to run her finger along, reality beginning to settle in.

“You didn’t have to tell her.” she said still looking down, “You could have just let me die right there and saved yourself another way.”

Roger immediately withdrew his hand, looking at her with a furrowed brow and look of disbelief.

“What- you think your death would solve everything?” he sounded hurt as he continued to speak, “I have seen a lot of good people go ma chérie, and I would be devastated if you were to find yourself among them.”

Roger’s words struck Dove in a way she found hard to comprehend. No one had ever gave two shits about what happened to her save for her father, rest his soul. It was in that moment she knew she could not just sit and wait for Mai the saviour to come and rescue them. She had to do whatever it took to get Roger and Malik out of this hell. The reunion could come after. 

“I promise to help in anyway I can.” Dove assured him, reaching into the cage as she scratched his scraggly beard. 

Roger gave her a weak smile before dipping his head down to kiss the palm of her hand. Hurried footsteps cut the tender moment short as the two looked down the prison halls. From the heavy thuds of footprints, Dove could only assume that it must have been her mother’s guards.

“You have to go.” Roger said, suddenly thrusting Dove’s hand out of the cage, “Go now.”

“I’m not leaving.” she said defiantly, standing to greet the soldiers as their bodies emerged from the shadowy depths of the hall.

They seemed startled to find Dove standing there in front of Roger’s cage, approaching cautiously. Not all the Highwaymen were mindless marauders. Some of them just had no other choice but to obey. Their motorbike helmets disguised their expressions but their voices gave way to a sympathetic tone. 

“I’m sorry Dayana,” one of them spoke, “but your mother has requested we bring the prisoner up to the moat.”

“What for?” she asked now crossing her arms.

“She did not say.” the other replied almost in a whisper, “Please just let us take him.”

Dove stood steadfast, torn as to what to do. She was not a fighter and doubted that she could take on the two Highwaymen even if she gave it her all. She could take apart and put together any vehicle you placed in front of her but she could not piece Roger back together if anything happened to him.

One of the Highwaymen shifted uncomfortably, growing antsy, “Please Dove, we’ve already got two marks against us.” they said pointing to the carved tally marks etched into their helmets, “ If we get another Raven is gonna feed us to the crocs.”

The skin along Dove’s knuckles felt like they were going to split open by how hard she was clutching her fists. Her body trembled, knowing there was little she could do. She looked to Roger who had now began to stand. 

“It’s okay Dove. Let us not make these pour souls suffer.”

Dove eased back, watching as the tension in the Highwaymen slowly drained from their shoulders as they undid the lock to the cage, grasping Roger by each arm as they took him out. Dove watched helplessly as they dragged Roger away to whatever maniacal showing her mother had planned. She grasped the side of her temples, breathing in and out as she tried to fabricate her own course of action. In a moment of realization, the little bird’s eyes grew wide with a renewed sense of vigor.

The two Highwaymen were hurrying in dragging Roger away but Dove scurried after them, shouting to Roger. 

“Do you trust me?” she asked halting in her steps.

Roger could only peek slightly over his shoulder as the distance between them continued to grow, “Avec ma vie.”

Dove turned heel almost immediately, knowing she had to get to the hangar as soon as possible for the plan she had in mind. Knowing her mother’s love for spectacles, whatever she had planned would take time, allowing Dove to finish what she needed to do. She could not wait for Mai to show up kicking down doors and stabbing people in the throat. The woman she was in need of now was sitting in a sorry state but hopefully with the little time she had now, Dayana could get her up and running once more.

It was La Grosse Patate’s time to shine.

\-----

The wind swelled around Mai as she approached the Capital, whipping about her with a chill that was both electric and volatile. Mai was shaking with rage and combined with the sharp icy draft, it felt like she was being rendered apart from within. Every fiber of her being was shaking with the same sickening feeling she felt when she went to confront Ethan in his final moments. There were so many thoughts and emotions circling through her she could just stop right there and vomit from the overwhelming feeling. What exactly she planned to do when she arrived back to the Capital was beyond her. She just knew Roger and Malik’s fates were hanging on her every action and whether or not Raven was in a forgiving mood. 

The silhouette of the Capital began to tower over the tree line of the swampy marsh as she approached. The sun had begun to steadily set which would have given her an advantage if she didn’t already feel like she was being watched. Mai halted at the tree line, gripping the handle of her knife. The faint sound of twigs and ground shifting meant that whoever was approaching had no such worries as to alerting her. This prompted her to sigh annoyingly as her grip on the knife fell.

She continued to face forward, watching as the sky turned to twilight. It reminded her of the times she and Thomas would sit atop of the train and bullshit away. She was so young then but already she had seen the worst that humanity has to offer. The only light in her life had been her parents until Thomas showed up. Feeling his presence now beside her made her stomach wretch up with guilt. She could feel his doleful eyes staring at her, filled with questions that could not find their way to his lips.

Mai tentatively turned to him, seeing the man who had dropped everything to help her. He had vowed to help her find her parents, and he had vowed to rescue Roger and Malik. It took her up to this moment to realize that there was nothing in this world that he would not do for her. The Seed woman grasped Rush and pulled him towards her, gently placing her forehead against his with closed eyes. She felt the warmth of his hands cup her waist as they stood amidst the engulfing darkness.

“I’m scared Thomas.” she spoke almost apologetically, “I can’t lose anyone else. Not again.”

She felt Thomas’ grip grow more secure as she pulled her head back to look at him. He gazed at her like it was the last time he would ever see her. His hands rose up to grasp her face, pulling her into him as his lips crashed against hers. Mai grasped his coat, fearful of what was being left unsaid in this moment. They took what they could, holding onto one another as though the world intended to tear them apart. They pulled apart, breathing rapidly as they rested their heads once more.

Mai’s heart began to settle as Thomas graciously ran his fingers through her wild mane. Without another word their hands drifted to the other’s, fingers interlacing as they faced the Capital. There was no more time to lose - Roger and Malik needed them now more than ever.

“Whatever happens,” Thomas spoke up, “We’ll face it together.”


	19. Chapter 19

Malik had only been on this earth for a few years but he was intelligent to know that the woman who claimed to be his friend was not who she affirmed to be. He laid with eyes barely open in the bed that he was sure he would die in as tubes sprawled all around his body, pumping fluids in and draining blood out. This had been a daily occurrence since he first awoke in this strange place. His supposed friend Raven would parade him around the interior of this maze-like a prized animal, showering him with gifts before returning him to this barren room.

The boy tried to raise his hand to pull the needle out but found himself becoming light-headed at the simple gesture. Malik converted his lips inward feeling both helpless and alone. You could not decipher it from his face but he was primed with anger and betrayal. Where had Mai run off to without him? Why did she not go to him in the garden? What was happening to Roger? Where had Raven taken him? Everyone here took what they needed from him but gave no answers as to why. Just how no one explained why his father left so soon. He longed to see his mother again. To hide his face amongst her hair and feel her arms around him. He wanted to feel his father’s hands lift him into the air as he spun him under the blue blanketed sky. To run among the grounds of their home with Mai, taking in the sun and the scent of pine from the nearby forests.

He felt as though the longer he spent here, the more he was beginning to forget what that home and family looked like. He wanted to go home.

The door to the room opened without any warning, prompting Malik to sit up eagerly. He did not know why he had anticipated Mai to walk through the door. To see her hair flowing out from behind her like the heroes from the comics she would share with him. Instead, two individuals entered. Raven strolled in looking already annoyed by the man accompanying her. The most noticeable thing about the man was the fact that his shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a Buck tattoo across his chest.

“I’m just saying - instead of going to all-out war, you could market this stuff. Play every side of the table. If this little bugger’s blood is as good as you say. You just need a way of showcasing it.”

Malik watched silently as Raven looked over the machines that monitored his condition as she half-haphazardly responded, “Here I thought you just had your looks going for you Buck.” 

The two didn’t seem to be aware that Malik was awake as they continued to speak.

“Let us wait and see how his sister’s supply compares. After all, there’s only so much blood we can get out of this little one, and hers is supposedly much more potent.”

“Aye, but we don’t know much about the side effects of a stronger dose.”

“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to run a few tests won’t we.”

Malik began to stir uncomfortably as they talked about his sister like she was some sort of livestock. When the two adults sensed his movement, the false smiles and happy faces were put on.

“Oh, sweetie did we wake you?” Raven asked almost pleasantly as she came to sit beside him. 

She ran her fingers through his wild curls causing him to cringe. Raven quickly withdrew her hand, finding fault elsewhere instead of the fact that he wanted to be nowhere near her.

“Are these tubes bugging you? Let’s take em’ off for now.”

As Raven began to remove the wires and tubes, his eyes drifted to the man, Buck. His facade had immediately fell, looking at Malik like some sort of insect that needed to be squashed.

“We have a day ahead of us today.” Raven continued to speak, removing the last of the tubes that restricted Malik’s movements, “Your sister is coming to pay a visit. You and I are going to go greet her. How does that sound?”

Malik’s eyes immediately lit up, hopeful at the prospect of seeing his sister, but that hope was diminished considering that it was this false friend who was announcing the news. Raven looked viciously eager as she sat awaiting his response.

Malik’s words contradicted his actions as he bowed his head humbly, fearful of the response he would illicit with what he was going to say.

“I don’t want to go with you.” 

There was a moment of silence and a bit of Buck snickering before Raven responded, her tone drastically more tense and menacing.

“And why not?”

With his head still turned down low, Malik replied, “Because I know you hurt Roger. And you’re going to hurt my sister.”

With the last bit of strength he had, he looked up, glaring at her, “You’re a bad person. My sister hurts bad people.”

He could not see the man Raven’s reaction, but he could feel the air in the room suddenly begin to thin, making it hard to breathe. It was a similar feeling to when his mother would lecture him over something he had done, but there was a tension here that made him wonder if maybe he should have kept quiet. 

“After all I’ve done for you. Rescuing you from that nasty crash and nursing you back to health, this is the thanks I get.”

Malik could not have foreseen that Raven would have yanked him by the arm, nearly jettisoning him from the bed as she plopped his already frail body onto the floor. Malik’s eyes squinted and he drew his lips inward once more as he tried to refrain from making any sort of noise of pain. Raven was already yanking at the collar of his shirt as he tried to get his senses in order.

“You’re a smart little boy. But I’m going to do more than just hurt her.”

Raven placed both hands on his head, one gripping his chin and the other the top of his head as she forced him to look at her associate.

“Your sister made me look like a fool escaping this place. So when I drain every last bit of her blood and she’s too weak to move, my friend here is going to fuck her until there’s blood coming out of every orifice,” as she said that, the man named Buck made a crude gesture, forming a “V” shape with his fingers as he wiggled his tongue between them. 

Malik’s stomach churned before the woman forced him to look back at her,” When he’s done, I’m going to feed her to my babies. And then, because I’m actually fond of you, you’re gonna learn to never talk to me like that again. Do you understand me?”

Malik stared at Raven, his eyes motionless, refusing to give any sort of submission. Raven’s expression fell flat as she released him, nearly shoving his head back as she did so. Before his head snapped to, Buck was already hoisting the boy up, throwing him over his shoulder.

The Seed boy kicked and shouted for him to let him go, pounding his malnourished hands against the man’s back.

“Throw all the tantrums you want my boy.” Raven said as all three proceeded to leave the room, “This show is just getting started.”


	20. Chapter 20

Mai wondered what it was about her family that drew them to constant danger, or rather, that led danger straight to them. Her mother had never asked for Eden’s Gate to come strolling into Hope County and proceed to tear her life asunder. She and Mai never asked to be housed in a bunker for four years with a fanatical madman. Mai never asked to be kidnapped by raiders and forced to duel in a fight club for children. Never asked the Twins Mickey and Lou to come into her life and begin tearing her life down. She especially never asked for her brother and best friend to be held at the mercy of a maniacal tyrant who stood no more than 100 yards away from her.

There was no sense in seeking out an alternative way into the amusement park turned self-made fortress. Mai had received Raven’s direct calling so now was the time for resolution. Mai and Thomas stood at the edge of the moat that led directly into the entrance of the park while on the opposite end, Raven sauntered about with her posse of goons. In her midst was the man Mai had scuffled with just two moons ago, Buck Hughes. In front of Hughes stood one of the hot topics in question: Malik Thomas Seed. Mai gasped when she placed the name to the body. His skin lacked color and his hair was a matted mess. The boy was trembling so bad that it broke Mai’s heart into a million pieces. It was inconceivable to believe that this was her sweet, loving brother. There were two vital individuals missing from this dismal party: Dove and Roger. Raven must have Dove on an extremely short leash, explaining her absence in this parlay, while Roger’s send instant dread in her body. Every worst possible scenario ran through her head, filling her with rage as Mai began to storm forward, pausing only to Thomas’ grasp. 

“Easy there...we’re outnumbered.” he muttered, his eyes drifting subtly to the guards standing atop of the fortress walls, “Let’s see what she wants first.”

 _I know what she wants_ , Mai thought to herself, having just hand-delivered it right to Raven’s door. She looked to Rush, her heart racing with each passing second.

“If this goes sideways. I want you to take Malik, and get as far away from here as possible.”

Thomas’ eyes widened and then narrowed with concern, “Cap, if you’re not comfortable doing this, we can figure out something else-”

“We don’t have time. You have to promise me if it comes down to it you’ll take Malik and run.”

Thomas’ face scrunched up, obviously not one-hundred percent comfortable with the idea of possibly leaving her behind. Mai tried to settle him by resting her head against his.

“You know I can’t do that.” he said.

“I know.” she sighed, “But I'm asking you to do this for me.”

The two sealed the pact with a warm embrace, fighting against the cold front that had swept through the area. It was honestly the most dismal setting. The intimidating Capital against the backdrop of dark, ominous clouds, signaling that a storm would be arriving soon. Mai and Thomas began their walk towards the center of the moat as the entry way opened, a few more guards appearing dragging along another human. The man was disheveled, and he had bandages wrapped around one of his hands but they were soaked with blood. Mai gasped audibly, her hand covering her mouth. _Roger_. She looked to Thomas, who looked as equally unsettled and worried. If Raven had done what Mai was currently envisioned in her head, that meant there was no one here able to pilot La Grosse Patate out of here. They were essentially stranded in the belly of Highwaymen territory with no one coming to get them out.

“Glad you could finally come to join us.” Raven announced from where her group stood, “I’m going to get straight down to it. I wanna make a deal.”

She waved her hand to her goons, prompting them to bring Malik and Roger up to the forefront. Malik stood on one side as Roger kneeled on the other, Raven’s hands placed firmly on their shoulders. Both of them look to Mai like she was some sort of Messiah, each one astounded that she had come back despite the odds stacked against her.

“I know these fine young men must be of the utmost importance to you, but I’m a businesswoman, and I want something in return of equal, if not more in value for them.”

Mai stepped forward, staring the Highwayman leader down. She threw her hands up in the air, “Well, here I am. You got what you wanted. Now release my brother and my friend.”

Raven snickered before proceeding to laugh maniacally, glancing back at her posse who also erupted in laughter.

“Oh honey, it ain’t that easy. I wanna know exactly what I’m getting first.”

Raven pulled Malik forward, twirling him around before kneeling down in front of him. Mai tensed up as Raven whispered something into Malik’s ear who immediately began to yell and attempt to run as she snatched. Roger stood up, prompting Buck to step forward and restrain him. Mai was three steps into running forward when Raven lifted Malik into the air. Mai watched in horror as the Highwayman casually threw him off the moat into the dark murky waters below his screams echoing all around.

Mai froze, the memory of Malik falling from the helicopter blocking any ability she had to move. It was the subtle movement of something under the water that triggered her to jump in after. Thomas’ shouts followed after her as she felt through the air, hitting the surface of the water, immediately disoriented by the darkness surrounding her. With what little light there was, she could make out the tiny form of her brother in the distance, kicking and wiggling as he tried to reach the surface. Mai began her swim over to him, reaching her arms out, feeling the phantom touch of his hand in hers. Malik’s body twisted until he was facing her, immediately laxing, realizing his sister was here to save him.

At least, that was the grand plan.

Mai felt her body being jerked through the water like a catapult. There was a searing pain in her leg as she began to suddenly descend as a rapid rate. She looked down, seeing the nightmarish sight of a crocodile chomping down on her. Mai kicked and turn, using her free foot to kick the ebony croc in the snout to no avail. The pain was immeasurable but she had to continue to fight. She did her best to hunch over grasping the croc’s upper area of the head. Seeing no other alternative, Mai began to push her fingers into the animal’s squishy eyes, holding the urge to gag as they popped under the pressure. The monster released it’s grasp, swimming away. Mai could feel her lungs beginning to implode, but she had to reach Malik before she could get out of this watery grave. Mai reached the surface, gasping the air as she looked around.

“Malik!”

Off in the distance, she saw the boy’s head bobbing up and down, trying his best to stay afloat as he returned her call with more cries for help. Mai swam as quickly as she could, her arms screaming with exhaustion. The Seed girl reached out and grasped Malik, bringing her to her chest.

“Malil...Malik are you hurt?”

She buoyed the boy on her leg, allowing him a moment's rest as he tried wiping the water from his eyes, a mixture of tears and fresh water from the moat. 

“I want to go home.” he whined.

He wrapped his arms around her neck and she around his back. There was a temporary peace as they floated about. She felt like they were floating through space. Free from the pain of this world that continued to try and break her down. That tranquility was broken when she felt something bump against her leg. Mai’s eyes immediately began to scan the surface of the water, spotting some ripple movement not too far off, gravitating towards them.. 

“Malik, get behind me.” Mai cautioned as she tried to reposition the boy.

The boy did not stall, maneuvering under her arm, hanging onto her like a little monkey. Mai lost sight of the second crocodile, making her begin to panic. They weren’t too far off from the shoreline, but she knew the croc was waiting for them to make a move. She had an idea, but she needed Malik’s under approval to do it otherwise she feared he would panic because well, she was going to use him as bait.

“I have a plan,” she said looking over her shoulder at him, “but you have to tell me that you trust me.”

Malik nodded, eyeing the predator that now began to circle around them. 

“Remember how dad used to throw you to mom in the lake near Prosperity?” Mai asked, watching as he nodded in acknowledgment, “I’m going to throw you towards the shoreline and then you’re gonna paddle as fast as you can until your feet reach that ground and then I want you to run.”

She could feel Malik’s grip on her tighten as she tried to position him to where she could properly throw him. He looked nervous and frankly, she couldn’t blame him. Her heart tightened, imagining how badly their mother would be losing her shit right now to see them in this position. If her mother was here, they would at least stand a chance. If her mother and father were here they’d be unstoppable.

“I’m scared.” he murmured as Mai began to hold him over her head.

“I know little monkey.” she said as she got ready to throw, “I love you.”

As Mai used all her strength to toss the frail boy towards the shore, time suddenly began to slow down. Her eyes darted to the surface of the water, once again seeing movement from beneath. The albino skinned croc broke through the surface, leaping into the air with its jaws wide open, looking to snatch the boy in mid air., It was the most mesmerizing sight Mai had ever seen but she could not get lost in the beauty when in seconds it was going to turn into a horror fest. Mai threw her arms out, her arms were barely able to wrap around the crocodiles round belly as she tugged it down. This croc was a lot bigger than their counterpart, causing Mai to think that maybe this wasn’t such a bright idea.

She didn’t see how far Malik made it before she was back underwater, wrestling with the animal. It rolled and rolled until Mai was unable to hold on any longer. The Seed woman was thrust off allowing the croc to dart back into the shadow of the water. Her heart began to pound as she floated along in the abyss. All this trouble and she had no idea what was happening on the surface. By now Thomas was probably already in the hands of the Highwaymen with Raven patting herself on her back of her imminent victory. Mai had to get out of this watery hell but she was up against two super predators.

The ebony croc had backed off after her initial assault, no doubt using the darkness as it’s cover. The albino was a bit easier to spot but they had disappeared completely. Mai began her trek back to the surface, her head whooshing from one side to the other due to lack of oxygen and for fear that she may be snatched up. Her fingers drifted against the surface, feeling the faintest touch of cold air when she saw it. The albino croc darted out from the darkness, speeding at her like a missile with her jaws wide open. Mai instantly extended her hands out grabbing the top and bottom of its mouth The crocs teeth tore through her skin like tissue as she struggled against it, her arms trembling to keep the beast from chomping down on her fingers.

The thought that this may very well be the way she died was unforeseeable. The shotgun blast Mickey had graced her with years ago should have been the end. Her duel with Ethan’s monstrosity should have been the end. The man who spouted that he loved her but tried to murder her should have been her end. It should have been. 

But she could not allow it to be. Not when she made a promise to her father that she would take care of her mother and brother. Not when her best friend was at the mercy of a megalomaniac. Not when she finally had her feelings for Thomas realized, knowing she never wanted to be apart from him again.

Like a lit match dropped into a puddle of gasoline, she felt a surge of strength flow through her, albeit with _very_ uncomfortable side effects. Mai’s grip on the croc intensified as she dealt with the radiating pain she was experiencing. Her body felt like it was being ripped apart and reformed from the inside while her skin began to burn with an unseen fire. She had not tapped into the power of Eden since her confrontation with Ethan, one, because she had no clue as to how to activate it, and two, she did not want to rely on something that Joseph Seed had gifted her even if she had no way of controlling it.

It seemed her underlying physiological conscious preferred self-preservation over becoming a snack. The two struggled against one another for a bit longer until Mai was able to begin pulling on the animal’s jaw in opposite directions. She wanted to gag as she felt the bone begin to snap and crunch until the jaw became completely dislodged. The croc immediately began to try and flee but she kept stretching out her arms until she felt the crocs resistance instantly go limp. She released the animal, watching as its body began to sink down to the bottom of the moat. With relief, she began to make her way to the surface, though her body continued to wreak havoc. Imminent danger seemed to turn on her power but she had no way of knowing how to shut it off. She reached the shoreline, heaving up water before proceeding to lie on her back. She stared up into the sky, the clouds now a blanket of darkness and bitter cold. Her heart felt like it could burst out of her chest any moment but she had to keep going. She rolled onto her belly, propping herself up as she heard the subtle sound of clapping. 

Mai saw that Raven and her posse had migrated further along the shoreline. The Highwayman Queen had a smile stretching ear from ear as she continued her slow clap. Beside her, each one of Mai’s loved ones sat kneeling in the swamp embankment with Highwaymen holding weapons to their heads. Mai’s heart sunk, realizing despite her triumphant feat in saving Malik, they were still playing Raven’s game on her own turf.

“Color me impressed. You’re gonna make me a very happy woman.” Raven said as she came to stand over Mai, “I think this may indeed be a fine exchange. But I don’t want you to be all by your lonesome.” Raven snapped her fingers signaling for the Highwaymen to begin gathering up the others, “Don’t wanna keep family apart after all. That’s just cruel.”

Mai tilted her head up baring her teeth at the woman, “That wasn’t part of the deal.” 

Raven smirked as she took her foot and stomped on Mai’s hand with enough for the heel punctured through. Mai winced holding back her scream as Raven began to mock her, “Oh honey, I make the rules around here. You better start learnin’ how to abide by them.”

Mai felt her soul begin to slip from her body, slowly being replaced with dread. This couldn’t be. Mai had no words to speak as she lay there, defeated. This was their end and Raven’s new tyrannical reign began. The clouds overhead began to light up followed by the roar of thunder, laying the entrance for the incoming storm. Behind the thunder though, Mai could hear a distinct sound approaching. She wasn’t the only one to hear the peculiar sound. Raven, Thomas, and the others all looked to the sky, hearing the monotonous noise. A brief flash of lightning blinded them for a moment, but seconds later the source of the sound was revealed.

Mai gaped as she watched _La Grosse Patate_ swoop in overhead, frightening some of the Highwaymen into scattering, Raven included. Once the Highwaymen were clear of the hostages, the helicopter opened fire with what appeared to be newly installed machine guns. Seeing the bird in the air left her dumbfounded and confused.

_If Roger is down here with us...who the hell is piloting?_

The helicopter swooped down again, allowing Mai a glimpse into the pilot's seat. The bleached blonde hair was a dead ringer for one particular highwayman, one that Mai was now kicking herself for ever doubting..

Up in the air, Dove was having her own crisis as various alarms continued to go off within the helicopter. It’ll be easy, she thought. Just like driving a car, she said. How she was keeping the helicopter elevated was beyond her, but now she had to land the damn thing. Down below she could see the other Highwaymen running about as her mother sought cover. She could just imagine what sort of hell her mother would subject her to if this plan failed. Dove would just as soon jump into the moat with the crocs before she ever entered her mother’s kingdom again. First things first though, she had to get the others, elsewise this was all for naught.

Dove took a deep breath as she began the descent down to the ground. It wasn’t the greatest landing as she dipped the tail low, causing the spiraling rotor to kick up dirt and threatened to send the heli spiraling but with a heavy thud, she managed to position it flat. Dove jumped out from the helicopter, signaling to the group in question while the Highwaymen tried to compose themselves amidst the chaos. She darted towards Malik, Roger and Thomas screaming orders at them to get into the helicopter. Her arms immediately tucked under Roger’s arms, assisting him in getting up.

“Ma chérie, that was astounding.” Roger said weakly. 

“That was awesome!” shouted Malik.

“Let’s save the praise for later guys.” Dove responded as she took Malik’s hand while still supporting Roger. She looked to Thomas, “Go get Mai, I’ll get these two to the helicopter.”

Thomas nodded, having to shake himself out of shock at the turn of events. Minutes ago he had watched with anxiety as the woman he loved was fighting for her life to nearly losing everything in an instant. Now their saviour had come in the most unlikely of forms, friend turned traitor turned ally once again. Thomas hurried, knowing the Highwaymen would not be stunned for long now that _Patate_ was down on the ground. Mai was motionless on the bank of the moat, her eyes returned to their natural shade though bits of red were speckled here and there. These _transformations_...whatever you wanted to call it was obviously, physically taking its toll on her. 

“Mai…” Thomas cooed as he knelt beside her, “C’mon, we gotta go.” 

Thomas felt the stupidity in that statement quickly as he looked down and saw her leg. It was mangled to pieces during her fight with the crocodiles which meant she was not going to stand up anytime soon. 

“I don’t...I don’t feel so hot Thomas.” she sputtered as all the adrenaline began to drain out of her.

“It’s going to be okay Cap.” he tried to assure her, “We’re going home.”

“Thomas, Mai - let’s go!” Dove called barely audible over the monstrous noise of the storm and helicopter. 

Rush began the process of attempting to lift Mai up, but she was near twice his size and all dead weight. One tugged and she nudged a little bit. He went to pull a second time but she was snatched from his hands like a bird snatching up a fish. The ebony croc from before had shot up from the water, clutching its jaw around Mai’s body, resulting in a blood-curdling scream and splatter of blood landing on Thomas’ face. He fell backwards, stunned as Mai and the croc disappeared back into the water. 

The whole world fell silent as he tried to process what had just happened. He reached his hand up, dipping the tips of his fingers into the dots of blood that littered his face. He looked back to Dove and the others in the helicopter, their looks both equally stunned and horrified. Malik’s expression looked the most pained out of all, simply because there was no expression, simply a blank stare of a child who had seen all too much.

Shaking Thomas stood up, facing the water. He imagined shouting Mai’s name. Diving in and wrestling her out of the monster’s grasp. He imagined getting her back into the helicopter that would take them back to Hope County. Reality wasn’t so pleasant. The bullets began to fly now that they were at their most vulnerable. Thomas refused to move though, prompting Dove to leave the helicopter to retrieve him.

“Rush we gotta go!”

Thomas immediately rebuffed, “I’m not leaving without her!”

“We got a small window before that storm grounds us and then we’re all dead.” Dove said as she grabbed him and began shaking him, “We need to get Malik and Roger out of here. It’s what she would want.”

Call him selfish, but he half considered staying if it meant giving Mai a fighting chance, but he remembered her words from earlier vehemently running through his head. Get Malik to safety. Get him as far away from this nightmare as possible. Thomas shouted with frustration as he finally allowed Dove to drag him along, dodging bullet hail the entire way back to the helicopter. Everything was a blur the moment he sat inside _La Grosse Patate_. He could remember the helicopter turning tumultuous as Dove tried to avoid the incoming fire, while simultaneously trying to avoid the lightning strikes that began to touch down. What he tried not to remember was the sight of the woman he loved being dragged to her grave. The gunfire had halted as they cleared over the forestry of the swamp, the turbulence settling down the further they became. Sitting in the passenger seat Thomas started on ahead, reciting bits of pieces of Mai to dissociate from the grisly image he had just experienced.

Piercing dual-toned eyes. Apricot skin. Flaming locks of hair. His captain. His love. Gone.

\-----

“Anyone care to tell me why the _fuck_ no one was watching over little miss princess?”

Buck “Bambi” Hughes laid into the seemingly incompetent Highwaymen, assuming the unofficial role of Ramona’s second in command. The storm had passed but there was still an overlying gloom over the entire situation. On the surface, Ramona had been robbed of many assets: her newly acquired helicopter, the boy, the little annoying Frenchman, her sweet angel Oya, and her pitiful daughter Dayana. She had to admit though, despite the fact that Dayana had single-handedly branded herself a traitor and was a blight on this earth, Raven was rather impressed by her actions. Perhaps she didn’t give her enough credit after all. Whatever potential had been lying dormant in the little bird had come out in the face of the most dismal of reasons: to save her friends.

Raven stared out into the moat water surrounding her kingdom. Her hands were placed on her hips, waiting, as patiently as she could possibly permit. Buck soon found himself by her side, radiating with irritation as though it were he who had something to lose.

“Well we’re bloody fucked aren’t we.” he said, “What are we going to do with the boy or the woman? We ain’t got shit to show for when the buyers come.”

“Oh I’m not too worried.” Raven said with an almost gleeful tone, “I always get what I want.”

Buck stared at her in confusion and scrutiny. Raven pointed to the water as air bubbles began to form. Buck stared closely, jumping back startled when Nepthys emerged from the water, sauntering about with one fiery little redhead lodged between her teeth. The croc dumped the girl’s body before Raven who kicked her over to see if she was still breathing. The girl was seemingly unconscious at first, laying still for a moment but jolted up without warning, suddenly coughing and wheezing violently. Raven chuckled as the girl rested her head back down, her eyes fluttering to stay open, probably due to exhaustion.

“Thought you’d get off easy huh?” Raven teased, “Well I got some news for you honey. You’re gonna give me everything you got and then some or I’m gonna make you wish that little Neph here finished you off.”

Ramona snapped her fingers, causing the present Highwaymen to stand at attention. Raven made a motion for them to grab the nearly incapacitated Mai, but before they could take her away to the medical bay, Raven had one last statement.

“Oh,” she said as she leaned in nice and close to Mai, ensuring she could hear her nice and clear, “You owe me a crocodile.”


	21. Chapter 21

Hope County, Montana

Prosperity and New Eden had not known peace in the past week since the disappearance of the notorious Mai Takoda Seed, the playful Roger Cadoret, and precious Malik Thomas Seed. Search parties had been sent all over the County, even extending to past state lines. Mai and Roger were gone for no longer than two days at a time during their raids, marking this particular departure a bit worrisome that they had yet to return. Malik’s absence was even more pressing, as no one had seen him leave the settlement, and the chances of a small boy surviving in the wilderness with bears, cougars, and wolves preying about were slim to none.

No one felt the gravity of the situation more than former junior deputy Nayeli Lamb. She had been at the forefront of every search party that went out at every hour. Her perseverance could only last so long though before the panic began to set in. Try as she may keep up her facade, everyone around her could see her crumbling under the possibility that she may have very well lost the last of her family and no one saw it better than her best friend Vittoria.

The former Eden’s Gate Priestess turned New Eden Leader knocked lightly on the door that led to Nayeli’s room, once shared with the famous Jacob Seed. When there was no answer, Vittoria pushed lightly on it, the wooden door giving way to her touch. Vittoria peered into the room, seeing the Lamb sitting at the edge of her bed cradling a not so subtle red-colored rifle. Jacob’s rifle. The Priestess approached cautiously, not wanting to spook the deputy who seemed unaware of her presence.

“Darling, what do you have there…” Vittoria gently called.

Nayeli’s head popped up, immediately clutching onto the rifle. When she realized it was just her friend, she sighed heavily, setting the rifle down on the bed, though her fingers still danced about the grooves of the weapon.

“Jacob gave this to Mai.” she stated out of the blue, “She hasn’t touched it since...he…”

Vittoria scurried forward, taking a seat next to her friend coming to wrap her arms around her. Nayeli immediately laid her head on Vee’s shoulder, allowing herself to begin crying. Fate seemed determined to keep tearing this family apart, but despite everything, they somehow managed to find their way back to one another. Who was to say this would be any different?

“How can I call myself a mother if I can’t even protect my own children.”

“Oh, honey.” Vittoria cooed, “We’re going to find them.”

Nayeli looked to Vee with blood-shot eyes and then let her gaze drift down to the Priestess’ stomach. Her pregnancy was obnoxiously obvious, her belly looking like it could burst any day now. Nayeli rested her hand on the dome-shaped belly, prompting Vittoria to rest her hand on the Lamb’s. Nayeli was brought back to the day she realized she was first pregnant with Mai. It was a grim time. 

“I just want my babies back.” Nayeli sighed, “I need to know they’re okay.”

Before Vittoria could give her dearest friend any reassurances, they both curiously glanced at the door, hearing a mild humming sound coming from outside. The two women stood and went out into the foyer of the main building, seeing the other residents scurrying outside. 

Nayeli’s chest tightened with both anticipation and strained hope. Despite Vittoria’s heavily pregnant state, the two women made their way down the stairs to the courtyard. It was a matter of seconds before Nayeli’s eyes locked onto the so-called Big Potato itself, _La Grosse Patate_ , making its way to the helipad. Oddly, as the aircraft drew near, she did not see Roger Cadoret at the help of the helicopter, but rather a familiar Highwayman lackey. Had she a weapon, Nayeli would have instantly drawn it. After all, it was Dove’s betrayal on behalf of the Twins that had nearly torn Nayeli’s family apart again. Before the spinning blades could come to a stop, Nayeli was already marching up to the pad, nearly yanking Dove out from the cockpit.

“Nayeli.” Vittoria cautioned as she watched Nayeli proceed. Her words fell flat as Nayeli slowly began to erupt.

“How dare you. How dare you show your face around here.” she yelled as Dove tried to grasp her wrists, “Where are my children? Where’s Roger?”

“Nayeli- I’m sorry, but you have to listen-” Dove tried explaining.

Nayeli was so blinded by her rage she was oblivious by the other passengers deboarding the helicopter. A pair of hands wrapped around her waist pulling her back. A sensible, long-familiar voice began to talk sense into her.  
“Nayeli, please stop.” the voice asked of her. 

The individual released her, allowing her to turn around and face them. Her eyes widened with disbelief as she looked the man up and down, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Was she losing her mind? Had something in her broke inside her?

“Thomas?” her voice began to crack, “Thomas please tell me what is going on.”

Unable to get a single word out, Nayeli’s eyes locked on Roger standing beside him with a bloodied bandage wrapping his arm. He looked like hell had spat him out from its deepest depths.

“Roger ...what happened?” She asked, her mind trying to keep up with each revelation that came to be with all the surprise appearances. 

It was only a moment later she saw a small figure standing behind the two of them. The figure peeked his head out and proceeded to walk around the two full-grown men, coming into Nayeli’s full view. The boy looked emaciated, and the beautiful rosy color of his cheeks was now pale, looking almost sickly yellow. The boy was dazed, his eyes nearly sunken into his face. Nayeli’s heart shattered when she realized just who she was looking at. She broke out in tears, letting out a wail. 

“Oh my god.” she gasped.

The former junior deputy ran for her son, her arms outstretched, nearly skidding on her knees as they wrapped one another in each other's arms. She clung to him as though she were scared he would disappear from her grasp if she let go. His grasp was weak but he held onto her with what little strength he had.

“Malik...where is your sister?” she muttered into his matted hair. 

He nuzzled his face deep into her shoulder, his tiny body shaking as he began to sob, “Mom.” he whined, “Please don’t be mad.”

Nayeli pulled back, brushing his tears away as she tried to contain her own, “I could never. You can tell me anything.”

Malik continued to sob, unable to speak any longer. Seeing this prompted the former deputy to look to the others who had returned, standing with their heads hanging low and eyes avoidant. Thomas was the only one who seemed willing to look the mother in her eyes. He looked pain, as though the very thought of what he had to say was tearing him apart from the inside. 

“Nayeli.” He spoke hesitantly, “Mai is gone.”

\-----

It was a few hours before everyone was able to settle down. They had immediately taken Malik and Roger to the infirmary to get looked over by Selene. Despite being nearly bled dry, the boy’s vitals were relatively normal. His body had already begun working on replenishing what was lost. As for Roger, well, he too had lost a lot of blood, but by either sheer luck or miracle, he was expected to recover - though piloting _La Grosse Patate_ would be far out of reach for a time. With Malik and Roger down, that left Dove and Thomas with the uncomfortable duty of explaining what had happened that led them to this moment. How Roger and Mai had come in search of the lucrative resources that were housed in the fortress, only to get swept up in a storm, and everything that came after until he finished with describing Mai’s own heroism as she gave her life to save her brothers.

Nothing could ever prepare you for telling a mother that one of her children was never coming home. It was twice as difficult when that mother’s daughter was someone Thomas Rush had fallen deeply in love with. The bond he had with Mai was unlike anything he could ever describe. It was torture that he now had to stand here and relive the moment that she was torn away from him, right before his eyes. Dove and Thomas stood on one side of the designated war table they had used when battling the twins while faces such as Vittoria, Sharky, Grace, and others surrounded the other sides, allowing Nayeli her own space as she mulled over this information. Her face gave no tells. In fact, Thomas was quite sure she may have zoned out from reality. He would not blame her. If someone had given him the news that Mila had passed, he knew it would break him beyond repair. Even now he struggled with processing what had transpired. He felt an emptiness and overwhelming numbness that left him feeling nauseated the longer he stood there, waiting for Nayeli to say something. Anything. Nayeli’s eyelids twitched slightly. It was as though an idea had just been birthed unbeknownst to the others. Nayeli looked up from the table, looking directly at Dove. Her voice was void of emotion, and frankly, it was so uncharacteristic that it sent shivers up Rush’s spine.

“You said they were draining Malik’s blood and injecting it into...themselves?” Nayeli asked, breezing over the grim detail that these raiders were essentially harvesting her son...

Rush could sense the young Highwaymen’s tension realizing she was now at the forefront of this conversation. That it was her mother and their organization who had subjugated her child to such a fate.

“Yes, ma’am.” She responded cautiously, “My mother had a keen interest after seeing how fast he recovered from...uh...falling out of the helicopter. 

Dove looked at Rush who nodded, easing her mind that she was doing okay despite being faced with the woman whose family she had led into a trap, himself included. The Highwayman continued to elaborate on her mother’s grand scheme, drawing everyone’s attention to her now.

“She wants to monopolize the blood to the highest bidders and use it for her closest bodyguards. Essentially the other Highwaymen factions would wipe each other out, and she would be their supplier.”

“Meaning she would be pulling the strings from all over the country.” Nayeli responded.

“That’s impossible.” Vittoria interjected, “No one with an unclean soul can just be injected with the Gift of Eden without some sort of side effect.”

Thomas chimed in next, “Unless it’s diluted enough during the process. Malik must have inherited some of it from Nayeli so it wouldn’t be as potent so to speak. We really don’t know the long term effects of any.”

“If my mother somehow gets her hands on Mai’s body, she’ll have the power at the closest to its source and then we’ll all be fucked.” Dayana spoke bluntly.

“What is it you suggest then?” Grace, a silent bystander until now asked, “We go and retrieve…” she paused, letting the remaining words die on her lips.

“We have to bring her home.” Thomas states firmly, though it felt like another jab to his already broken heart, “Now I can go by myself or with others but I will not rest until Mai is home here.” He looked directly at Nayeli whose expression had finally begun to soften.

Vittoria, not so silent began to speak up again while clutching Sharky’s hand, “So, we are going to storm a Highwaymen city, fortified to hell and back, with goons doped up on the Gift, on the off chance that we find my Mai in whatever state she may be in and return her home?”

“Yes, that is indeed the plan.” Nayeli spoke, surprising Dove and Thomas by actually agreeing to what they suggested.

“We’d need an army.” Dove said, suddenly doubting her initial bravado, “There’s no way anyone of us is getting in there without getting slaughtered.”

“I don’t think Prosperity can spare that kind of supplies. We’re still recuperating from the Twins attack.” Grace replied.

Unfaltering in her resolution, Nayeli cut in, “Leave that to me.” 

Everyone looked to Nayeli questionably, but no one dared to ask her what she meant by _leave that to me_.

“Well then,” Vittoria spoke with a cheeky grin, “Count me in.”

“Whoa, whoa hotcakes..” Sharky finally chimed, placing his hand over her belly, “What about baby Sharkerectus? I’ll go instead.” 

“I told you, my love, we are not naming our child Sharkerectus.”

“Why not? It’s gender-neutral!” 

The couple began to banter back and forth about who was going while Nayeli and the others drew close to one another off to the side. They had a semblance of a plan, now they just had to act upon it and figure out the details along the way. Grace would stay behind to watch over Prosperity in Nayeli’s absence.

Vittoria, despite her heavily pregnant state insisted on attending, claiming she packed most of the firepower within the group despite Sharky’s protests. Malik and Roger, of course, would remain here as they continued to recover. Dove would serve as _La Grosse Patates_ temporary pilot with Nayeli and Thomas as the main fire support if it came down to it. With everything settled, the group broke apart, gathering whatever they may need for their trek into the hostile territory. Thomas felt a clutching feeling surrounding his heart as he was left to his own devices. Returning back so soon after losing Mai was gut-wrenching, but he could not live a life where she was so far from the ones who loved her. From the ones who missed her. 

He had absent-mindedly followed Nayeli following their group discussion, wanting to say something out of condolence as she was the one who must be suffering the most from this loss. Nayeli was quick to disappear into a room, prompting Thomas to hesitate before entering. As he entered, he was hit with the familiar scent of Mai. An intoxicating, ambrosiac like smell that made her absence even more present.

This must have been her room. Even by apocalypse standards, her room was the bare minimum. There was a bed cot, a makeshift nightstand, stacks of comics under the cot, and a music player lying on her bed. Nayeli was standing before the cot, staring at the player. Rush approached cautiously, not wanting to feel like he was intruding. As he got closer, he caught a glance at one of the comics that strayed from the others, lying atop the nightstand. His heart sank even further. _Captain America. Number 26._ Not the exact comic that had been with her when he first met her, but it was close enough. His Captain. His beloved Captain. 

His throat tightened. He wanted to scream. He wanted to wrap his hands around Ramona’s neck and demand that she give back the one woman who had given him hope when he himself had begun to lose it. He wanted his best friend back. His love. His life.

“She loved you.” Nayeli said, knowing he was standing behind her, “The day you left I swear something in her left with you.”

She turned around, now holding the music player in her hand, cradling it as though it were the most precious item in the whole world. 

“I thought it was just her being a teenager but then I remembered being in her place a long time ago. Being in love. Though the circumstances were vastly different...”

Thomas knew not what else to say except for the one thing that should have been said in the first place when they had arrived back here.

“I’m so sorry Nayeli. For everything.” he said remorsefully. 

Nayeli looked at him and shook her head, “No. It’s my own fault.” She sat on the cot, still clutching onto the player, “When Jacob died, I fell into a hole of darkness and forsook my own children, not realizing they were hurting just as much as I.”

She stood up suddenly, a fire lit behind her hazel eyes, prompting him to take a cautionary step back. 

“She’s still alive. I can feel it, and I know you feel it too.” she said.

It was hard to argue with a grieving mother, especially when she, having also been given the Gift of Eden, had had a point-blank shotgun blast to the head and survived. Mai was no exception to the rule. He felt a wave of stupidity questioning her ability to survive under the most horrendous of circumstances. He had witnessed feats that could not have been accomplished by anyone else but her. If anyone could survive Raven’s clutches, it was Mai. 

Nayeli approached Thomas, throwing her arms out suddenly, wrapping him in an embrace. Thomas was stunned at first given the circumstances but he returned the gesture, holding her tight.

“I’m glad you’re here, Thomas.” she uttered.

Thomas gave a squeeze in reassurance, “We are going to bring her back. No matter what.” 

As they pulled apart, Thomas realized she was still holding tightly onto the music player, puzzled, he pointed at it with a curious smile.

“That your weapon of choice?” he asked.

Nayeli looked at him with a genuine smile, chuckling almost as she realized the ludacris nature of what she was about to say. 

“As a matter of fact, it is.”

\-----

While everyone else prepared for the impending departure, Dayana King was ensuring to say her goodbyes to the two men whose lives would have been so much better had she just never existed. The doctor Selene had stepped out momentarily leaving Dove to tend to change Roger’s bandages. Roger seemed to be high as a kite as he laid in the cot, his eyes wide from the medication Selene had administered to help with his pain.

“I don’t think we properly thanked you for getting us out of there.” he said, watching her hands work delicately, “Seriously, I didn’t know you could fly a helicopter? You blew me out of the water.” he continued, sounding like his regular self again.

Dove, smiled shyly as she lowered her head, “Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing.” her face softened, her mind shuffling through memories that were left unseen by him, “Before the bombs fell, my father worked as a school teacher. He would always his class and myself that we would soar the skies one day as part of his pep talk. I just never thought he meant literally.”

“This is the first time you’ve mentioned him.” Roger responded, “If I may ask, where is he now?”

Dove paused, her eyes narrowing slightly, before closing completely, “Honestly, I’m not sure.”

She described how after the bombs fell, she remembered her father leaving the house to check on the neighbors. That was the kind of person he was after all. He was caring, empathetic. He had a kindness that would have never survived this world. Two days passed without his return. Instead, her Uncle Vince arrived at the house, with a young Michelle and Louise in the backseat of his car and a gaggle of goons accompanying him.

It was that day and every day since she was subjugated to Ramona and Vince’s cruelty, molding the Twins into their image, but failing miserably to do so with Dayana. 

“It amazes me how someone such as yourself could be related to that monster.” he said in response.

Dayana looked to him with a bittersweet look, “She wasn’t always like that...but...I don’t know. I don’t know what changed.”

She peered over at Malik who was sound asleep, exhausted and drained from all that he had gone through over the past week. The woman who had been her mother had died the day her father disappeared. The moment Uncle Vince came to be a part of their lives on a daily basis was the beginning of the end for whatever relationship Dove had had with Raven. There was no way anyone with any sense of humanity would subjugate a child such as Malik to be harvested like a mere animal. To treat an entire city as though their lives were only worth the number of resources they could produce in a day. To subject her own daughter to being touched, groped and raped by individuals would pay in a hefty amount of ethanol. 

Unfortunately for all, Ramona had lost her sense of humanity long ago, making this next venture one that some of them may not return from. 

“When you come back, you have to keep your promise that we will make eclairs together.” Roger mused, brushing one of her braids behind her ear.

Dove snorted, covering her mouth as she did so, “I can’t believe you still remember that.”

“I remember every memory you’re in.” He teased, “Good. Bad. Now and forever.” 

He took her mechanical hand, placing a gentle kiss atop of it. Dove smiled fondly and leaned into him, resting her forehead against his. They stayed like that for a good moment or two before he spoke again.

“Please bring my friend back to us.” His voice quivered, “I can’t bear the thought of her being left in Ramona’s clutches.” 

Dove bit her lower lip, knowing that the chance of them returning with such a small task force would be one in a million. Their moment of solace was interrupted by the faintest voice, just barely over the decibel of a mouse.

“Are you really going to bring my sister back?”

Dove and Roger both turned, focusing their sights on the boy who was now sitting on the edge of his cot. The Highwayman had to confess, she had spent little time near the boy during his time of captivity at the hands of her mother save for passing glances. Raven only allowed her most trusted near the boy. Occasionally though, she would sneak in bits of bread during the times he was scheduled for _draining_ , though he was unconscious or asleep each time she entered. This was the first time either one of them said anything to each other. Dove squeezed Roger’s hand before standing and walking over to Malik. The boy seemed sprightly - as though a simple nap was all he needed to recover from his exhaustion. The color was slowly returning to his cheeks, the youthful roundness of childhood beginning to shape out his face. He looked upon her with the piercing eyes that were a trademark of his family. He sat on the edge of his cot, swinging his legs incrementally as she neared. She sat down beside him, puckering her lips before she could formulate exactly what she wanted to say. 

“You don’t have to say anything.” He said with renewed confidence that had been absent in his captivity, “I know you will. I know you’ll help her.”

Dove stuttered, trying to find the words to say before the young boy tucked his rounds under hers, stretching to their max to wrap around her. Dove looked to Roger stunned, meanwhile he only responded with a big cheesy grin, confirming one thing all along, albeit it was bittersweet knowing that she was very well marching back to her doom. This boy, the man in the cot, her enemy turned friend, hell even Rush. It was their acceptance and forgiveness that made her realize she had been born into the wrong family. But it was here that she knew she had finally found a new one.


	22. Chapter 22

Mai stared up into the open expansiveness of the hazy sky that held itself above her. She blinked, one, two, three times, finding herself agitated that she had once again found herself back here. She lay flat on her back, a speck amongst a never-ending field of grass and white flowers that she remembered from her childhood. The last time she found herself in this place, she had just had a hole blown through her chest with a shotgun, falling two stories out of an abandoned building. This time, she must have slipped into unconsciousness, fighting on the edge between life and death following her deadly encounter with Raven’s little pets. She remembered being transported to a medical room, surrounded by Highwaymen doctors tending to her as she teetered on the edge. This was but one of a handful of times she found herself back here, though not all of them were life or death. Sometimes when she was in a deep sleep, she would find herself here. It was like a hiding place where she could divulge in her greatest failures. The people she brutally slaughtered. The people she failed to save. 

The coyote shut her eyes, refusing to encounter any familiar faces here. She listed their names as easily as one could recite the alphabet. Bee. Scorch. Sokanon. Takoda. Mickey. Lou. John. Faith. Ethan. Joseph. Jacob. No. Dad.

Her eyelids scrunched together as she prepared herself for whoever’s face she was to soon be greeted with. She prayed to whoever was up in that blank sky that she would not see any of her friends. That she would not see Dayana or Roger. No Thomas or Malik. When she opened her eyes, she was relieved to only be greeted by the emptiness of the sky. She sighed with relief, allowing her body to lax along the grass. They had made it to safety. That was all that mattered. 

There was a nagging feeling at the back of her mind though. Ramona, despite having lost her grasp on Malik, had got what she was after. She had his blood, and now with Mai as a prisoner, she had another blood bag at her disposal to do whatever evil bidding she had planned. That alone made her stir, beginning to run every worst-case scenario in her head. Just sitting there, forced to imagine the damage Raven could do with an army of jacked-up Highwaymen was a nightmare in of itself. Even worse, what if the other splinter Highwaymen groups got their hands on this limited quantity of Eden’s Gift coming from the Seed siblings. They would overrun the country in no time, meaning, Mai had only prolonged her friends and families suffering. In months, maybe sooner, they could very well once again be at Raven’s mercy.

Mai opened her eyes of the mere thought that after all she had been through in this past week, it could very well be undone, and she would be powerless to stop it - mainly because she was here. That thought made her realize she had to wake up from this limbo and get the fuck out of here.

“What are you doing here pup?” a voice cut through her tranquil state.

Mai looked the side seeing a man standing horizontal to her body with his arms crossed at his chest. The way the light hit his profile cast dark, sharp shadows across him, blurring his identity. The man spoke with a matter of fact tone, paternal. Familiar. _Dad_. Mai sprung up as though she had just been bitten by an insect. She scoffed and laughed in disbelief at the cruel hand fate had handed her. This was the last thing she needed right now. 

“Nope. No. I am not doing this.”

She groaned as she got to her feet, the injuries she sustained in real life finally catching up to her even in the unconscious realm. 

“Mai.” Jacob called as she began walking away.

“I’m not doing this again.” she insisted, “I don’t need some spiritual pep talk from the ghost of my father. Just- let me be.”

Jacob bided his time, watching her with steady eyes as she stopped shortly after, instead of beginning to pace, shifting her arms from crossed over her chest to places firmly on her hips repeatedly as she looked about.

“How the fuck do I get out of here?” she muttered to herself as he approached.

He had his hands raised like a parent approaching a raging teenager, taking cautionary steps to ensure they did not enrage them any further, “Okay. No pep talk. What if we just - talked?” he asked.

Mai turned, her eyes wide as she looked upon him. She was in complete disbelief. She felt helpless. She had failed in saving Ethan, and after that day, she vowed to never let anyone she loved go from that day forward. Only she had one enemy who she could not stop, no matter how hard she willed it so. Time itself stopped for no one, and it would take and take until you had nothing.

She was looking at the one person whom time had taken from her. Time had been her worst enemy from the start. She lost valuable time with her father, not once but twice. She never forgave herself for not being there more in the last few months. She wanted to ensure Malik got his time in with their father while sacrificing her own. Despite how much she wanted to be overjoyed at this moment, she could not conjure up any positive emotions. She felt anger. Pain. Guilt. It as though every emotion, every thought she had was now bubbling at the surface like it was ready to explode.

“I promised you that I would build people up.” she sputtered suddenly, “That I would help them become strong. That I would build a better future for them. For our family. Our friends.” her voice cracked, reaching a higher pitch as she began to tear up, “Instead, my friends have been abused, mutilated. I tore Thomas away from his one goal of making the country strong again. Nearly making it so he would never see his daughter again. I tore my own brother from our mother and nearly got him killed.”

Her father’s lips part slightly, looking caught off guard by her outburst but his face returned to its neutral expression shortly thereafter. Mai, on the other hand, could not seem to contain her father’s cool composure and began to pace erratically. 

“I can’t take it anymore.” she said, “I can’t- My whole life has been spent fighting and running. Running from my past, fighting to forget that I am the one who keeps bringing chaos and destruction to our family. I can’t do this anymore.”

A pair of scarred but beautiful hands, with exceedingly elegance grasped her, bringing her to a standstill. Mai shut her mouth as her father looked at her with those light eyes that stood out amongst any darkness. Mai began to break down, shoving her face into her father’s chest as she heaved.

“I’m sorry-” she said, “I hate crying in front of you.” 

Her father’s arms wrapped securely around her, his head resting atop of hers.

“You can cry pup. Never hide it. Never hold it back.”

“I wish I was strong like you and mom. I have all this power...the Gift of Eden...but I still feel so helpless.”

Jacob pulled back so he could look once more upon his daughter, his face both concerned but loving in a way that was just reserved for her. His only daughter.

“Mai...your strength does not just rely on one whimsical apple.” He pointed to her heart, “It’s what’s in here, and what you’re willing to fight for. You have more strength than you can possibly conceive.”

The two came to sit down amongst the meadow, as her father continued to speak.

“Life is not about avoiding suffering. As much as you try pup, there will always be hurt. But think of all the good you’ve done amongst that. Think of how you helped your old man give his life meaning.”

“Dad-” she began to object, her lip twitching, unable to decide between embarrassment and sadness, “What did I say about the pep talk?”

“I’m being serious, pup. When I first laid eyes on you, I knew that all the pain, all the suffering had been all worth it. I felt like I had meaning. I could do something good for the first time in my life, and that was being a father to you. That was good enough for me because I am no longer anything. You did that for me, and I know you’ll have that same impact on others for the rest of your life.”

With a heavy sigh, he turned his head to the horizon, as though it was whispering something to him. Without looking at her, he simply stated, “It’s time.”

Mai’s heart sunk, realizing their time together was about to come to a close. She could it though. Her connection to this place was waning, it was as though she was outside of her body, and reality was getting ready to pull her back to where it had left off. But she could not let this be all the time she had left with her father. She refused.

“I can’t go, I can’t leave you here.” she whimpered, “It’s not fair.”

“You do not have to fear Mai. I will always be with you. With you, your mother and your brother. I’ll be in every moment we’re together. Every day, all at once.”

Mai’s eyes became hot and heavy as the tears streamed down her face as she clutched her father’s hand. 

“Could I- could I just lay here with you for a moment?”

Jacob chuckled, as though he found it funny that she would even have to ask for permission, “Always.”

She leaned back, resting her head upon her father’s lap as he stroked her hair, much as he would when she was no more than two feet tall. Her father sang a hum she had never heard before, but she found comfort in knowing that even in death, he too continued to shift and grow. They said nothing, knowing that all that could be said, had already been done. This was no moment for reaffirmations or proclamations of familial love. They knew that already. Here, it was simply a daughter and father, enjoying this moment together. Mai allowed herself to begin closing her eyes as the darkness of a subtle sense of delirium descended over her. 

It was time to let go.


	23. Chapter 23

Mai awoke with a sudden jolt from her dream-like state, her eyes large and panicked as she leaned over the bedside to retch the contents of her stomach. She heaved until only air escaped her lips and sweat began to drench her forehead. She wished these visits from the otherworldly visions of lost loved ones did not have to involve such a rude awakening. The talk with her father though had reinvigorated her, despite feeling like she was still going to launch more contents of her stomach at any moment. She began to take in her surroundings with cautious curiosity. The room she was in was cold and sterile. There were towers of metal with flashing lights with tubes running between them and herself. Mai could only assume this was the Highwaymen’s infirmary, albeit it was devoid of life, unlike the warmth of Prosperity. Mai wiped the bile from her lips and began ripping out her tubes eager to get the hell out of here. Eager to get home to the others. Somehow.

“Now I normally don’t say this but that was rather hot.” a man’s voice teased from elsewhere in the room. 

Mai stopped short of ripping out the last few tubes, seeing the face of the greasy Buck Hughes standing in the doorway of her room. His face was still bruised and swollen from their last encounter but he still managed to make her skin crawl with a lone twitch of the lips. The coyote took a deep breath as she tried to contain herself from ripping right out of this bed. The only other thing stopping her was the fact that she was in fact chained like an animal, making escape unlikely. Buck began walking towards her, standing at the foot of the bed. His hands crept under the medical gown she wore, his fingers tracing the calves of her legs.

“Shall we pick up where we left off?”

Mai began to kick violently, “Get the fuck off me.” 

His hands came to grip around her calves now, running further up until she thought she was going to throw up again right then and there. He thought he was going to get lucky but he had another thing coming to him as she wiggled one leg out of his grasp and send her foot directly into his already pummeled face. She felt the subtle crunch of his nose shift before Buck fell flat on his ass out of view, cursing her violently. He grabbed the edge of the bed to help himself up, his dagger from their previous encounter now brandished.

“You bloody bitch. I’ll stuff you until you can’t feel anything anymore.”

What a predicament to find herself in here. She was, one, strapped down, two, naked so to speak, and three, about to find out what the hell this man with the strange accent meant by getting stuffed. To her relief, another figure walked straight through the door, followed by two individuals wearing dingy white coats. Raven and some doctors Mai assumed.

“My dearest Bambi, what did we say about playing with the merchandise...” Raven said condescendingly. 

Buck seemed irritated by Raven’s presence, but it could just be he was angry about her breaking his nose again.

“Why haven’t you already bled her out like a pig yet? I got contacts back home waiting for a hit of this stuff with all this hype you keep promoting.”

Mai watched uncomfortably as Raven, measurably taller than Buck stood chest to chest with him, jabbing her finger into his chest.

“I will not let a man tell me how to run my business. Now, you better put on your best behavior tonight for my guests, and then I’ll consider offering to fix that nasal problem of yours.”

Buck looked as though he were ready to blow a blood vessel the way his face reddened and seemed to tighten. He glanced to Mai before making his way out of the room, leaving her with Raven and the doctors who had accompanied her. As much as Mai enjoyed seeing Buck being put in his place, she was not relieved to still be in the presence of the woman who had tortured and mutilated her friend and brother. Raven seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts though, beginning to silently monologue to herself.

“The Southeast branch is already here, I still need tables to accommodate those idiots from the Mojave…-” Without skipping a beat, she turned to Mai, her finger tapping her lips, “And you. How are you feeling?”  
  
The Seed woman was caught a bit off guard by the question. Raven’s tone held no malice or underlying sarcasm yet there was no way she could be genuinely asking. Mai wondered if she ever spoke to Dove in such a way. She had to have, why else would Dove stick around? Raven would spin nice little phrases of concern to lull her daughter back into her twisted web. Just as she did with Malik, and as she now tried to do with Mai.

Mai pursed her lips, refusing to answer Raven’s question initially, but curiosity did strike her in this inopportune moment. Buck had raised a viable question, one that Mai herself wanted an answer to.

“Why haven’t you started taking my blood yet?” she posed the question, “It’s been a few days, you’ve had ample time.”

Raven raised a brow curiously, and then smiled like a mother interacting with a young child, “Inhumanly strong and observant. This is just getting better...with each passing moment.”

The doctors in the room moved around the two talking women, prepping another bed opposite to Mai, shifting the machines to that side of the room. Mai watched with hesitance as Raven sat on the foot of her bed. 

“Did you know, in certain African cultures, they view blood as the source of all power.” Ramona snarked, “I thought it was a bunch of hogwash, something my great-grandmother held onto. Old folklore. But here you are. Proving me wrong.”

Raven peered over at the empty bed that doctors were working around, seeming content with how tonights events have turned out.

“As you may well be aware, The Highwaymen expand far and wide over this country.” Raven said, “My nieces, The Twins, bless their departed souls, were second in power to only me. The rest are just mongrels snatching at any opportunity for power.”

Mai watched as Raven pulled a vile from a hidden pocket in her outfit, filled with a dark maroon substance. There was no doubt in Mai’s mind that it was Malik’s blood that she held.

“This precious vile was just the tip of the iceberg. Those idiots would pay whatever it cost to get their hands on it. The moment they see you on the field though, they’re going to kill to get a vile of yours.” Raven tucked the vile away, beginning to laugh, “Only they’re not going to get any.”

 _What the hell is she going on about_ , Mai thought to herself.

Raven snapped her fingers, and almost immediately, two Highwaymen Enforcers entered, dragging along an older man in an orange jumpsuit. One of the many prisoners Ramona had come to claim. The man looked equally puzzled as Mai was upon entry and began to look fearful as the brutes threw him onto the other medical bed. They strapped him down and the doctors immediately began to get to work, hooking him with the same tubes Mai had been connected to. He pleaded with them to let him go but one of them stuck some sort of syringe into his neck, instantly putting him to sleep.

Mai was horrified, but she was shackled and had no way of intervening. Even if she could, even if she had the strength to help, the Enforcers would put her down like an animal. It was not long after the scene that the man’s blood began to flow through one of the tubes into designated jars they had place. The doctors tended to him as Raven called Mai’s attention back to their conversation.

“You see, I had initially planned on keeping my word and giving them exactly what they wanted with your brother’s blood. They’d wipe eachother out. I thought to myself, they’ll have their little territorial wars and I would be their supplier. Once the dust settled, I’d be the one to pick up the pieces. Now that I have you though, I can save myself a lot of resources.”

Raven leaned in, using her finger to _boop_ Mai on the nose. She wished she could have bit off her finger there, much as her crocs had bitten off Roger’s hand, but Mai knew her best way to survive was to behave.

“You are a one woman army.” Raven said proudly, like she was the one behind Mai’s creation, “If I let you loose on the other Highwaymen cities, we could have peace in this country in a matter of weeks versus years.”

“Why not just kill them all tonight at once?” Mai asked, “Why draw it out?”

“Now what kind of dinner host would I be if I slaughtered all my guests?” Raven gasped dramatically, like this was the worst possible thing she could ever commit, “I’m all about putting on a good performance sweetie. You’ll learn that in time.”

Raven stood, rubbing her hands together, “Well now. It’s time to get you into hair and makeup. I can’t have you looking like a hot mess at our reveal.”

It took Mai this entire time to realize that Raven had big plans for her that evening. She was going to put her on display for all the Highwaymen to see. And she could assume correctly, her power would be at the centerfold. Mai was not sure she could handle another such transformation. Each one took its toll on her, mentally and physically. To do that again so soon tonight…

What happens if Raven’s plan actually goes through? Everything she did for be for naught. Mai would be a rabid dog on a leash, used for the sole purpose of destruction. Of course there would be no more Highwaymen within weeks. Mai would have killed them all in this hypothetical scenario, and she herself included, due to the strain on her body.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

“I will have Buck escort you to where you need to go.” Raven said as she stood.

Mai felt uncomfortable allowing Raven to have the last word, “How could you live with yourself know that man Buck has repeatedly raped your own daughter?”

Raven paused and raised a brow and then began to laugh, instantly making Mai hunch her shoulders, wishing she could disappear from this moment. 

“Is that what my pretty bird told you? I ain’t never make her do anything she didn’t want to do.”

Raven returned to Mai’s side, getting nice and personal with her face. 

“That girl would do anything for mommy’s approval. She’s weak like her father was.” Raven’s eyes narrowed, lost in thought, recalling memories that were unknown to Mai, “I will admit, losing her has been a great loss to my hangar and clientele in the brothel, but having you as my prize is more than worth it..”

Raven was no different than Joseph. Their children were just a means to an end. Another tool to be used. And here Mai was, once again, sought after for their personal gain. If this exchange had taught Mai anything, it was that evil did not just come in the form of a self-proclaimed prophet.

They could be beautiful, and just as equally cruel.


	24. Chapter 24

Dove’s head was spinning in circles as to how they were going to accomplish this mission. Everyone seemed so gung-ho that Mai was still alive. The little bird wished she had half of the optimism they had - it was though spending her entire life split between being the Twin’s lackey and used like a commodity by her mother had snuffed any light she had left. Perhaps it was harder to feel optimistic when she was surrounded by those she had once betrayed. Beside her sat Thomas, checking his gun, needing something to keep his hands busy, probably to take his mind off the fact that they were returning to the place were so many untold horrors took place. In the back, she could hear the soft snores from the heavily New Eden Priestess. Out of mere human curiosity, Dove peeked back, seeing the pregnant woman with her mouth wide open, completely passed out as her head rested on the shoulder of Mai’s mother, Nayeli. Nayeli, opposed to Vittoria, was wide awake. She and Dove made the briefest moments of awkward eye contact. Nayeli had  the eyes of a feline. They were soft, but there was a sense of danger and rage behind them. Dove quickly turned back around, wondering if she would even survive the next couple hours. 

The flight was only five hours, and they were about half-way there, but it was dragging on in the most uncomfortable way. They were passing over the plains of an unnamed state, if state lines were even a thing to consider anymore. _La Grosse Patate_ would need to be refueled soon so now seemed as good a time to get that out of the way since they had plenty of room to land. 

“I’m bringing her down.” Dove cautioned to the others.

Vittoria instantly sprung up, making it seem impossible that she had just been passed out minutes prior.

“Oh thank heavens, I can stretch my legs.” She gasped, “Though if I stand this baby might just come popping out.”

Dove looked to Rush who smirked regarding Vittoria’s eccentric being, “You get used to it.” He mused. 

 _La Grosse Patate_ landed without a hitch, and it’s occupants descended out of it, relieved to touch the ground, for however brief it may be.

“Where did you pack the gasoline love? I need to do something, I am stiff as a board.” Vittoria continued to chime.

“They’ll be in the aft on the right side, just make sure you walk around the front of the helicopter or you may hit your head on the blade unknowingly.” Dove warned.

“Oh I love your cautionary detail.” Vittoria responded, “You’re not so bad for a Highwayman.” Vittoria turned, snapping her fingers at Nayeli who seemed distracted by their surroundings, “Well be a dear friend and help me love!”

Thomas and Dove watched as Nayeli silently followed Vittoria to the other side of the helicopter. If she was to be quite frank, she was jealous of the lengths that Nayeli was going to retrieve her daughter. It was un-paramount. Immeasurable. The depths of that woman’s love could probably blanket the world twice over. Dove once thought she could say the same for her own mother. If the scars on her body and psyche were of any indication, it was that Raven only had one priority, and Dove was not it.

“You do realize, my mother is not just going to let us leave peacefully.” Dove said to Thomas who was still standing near, “She will chase you all to the ends of the earth.”

Thomas, bit his lower lip, hanging his head low, “No, I figured that would be the case.” He looked at her now, his words filled with caution, “How do you feel about all this?”

His question was simple, but it was loaded with more information than he knew. Or perhaps he did, but it was too touchy of a subject to come out and say it. Let’s see, How did she feel about breaking into her mother’s own self-made city fortified to hell and back? How they were staring death in the face? How there was a very high chance her own mother may perish somewhere in between? That right there was the real question. How would little Dayana react to losing her mother? The only family she had. The one person who, ironically had kept her alive all this time.

“I don’t know to be honest.” she responded, shakily, “I guess I’ll know when we get there.”

Thomas nodded knowingly, dropping the subject. Just in time too as they heard Nayeli and Vittoria bickering.

“You have to lift the latch up Vittoria, and then pull.”

“Well, I don’t see any instructions do you?”

There was a sudden commotion. A thud. Vittoria’s surprised screaming.

“Jesus H. Christ!”

Dove and Thomas quickly ran over to the others, Thomas being the first to speak, “What happened?”

Before them stood the two women, and with them a sheepish looking Malik who smiled sheepishly with a wave of his hand. What was more perplexing was how healthy he looked compared to hours before. 

“I wanted to help.” he said meekly.

Dove’s eyelids snapped open in surprise, “What-how, did you…?”

Unfortunate for Dove, she was not the only one with questions.

“How did you not realize there was a child in one of the cargo holds?” Nayeli began to shout suddenly with a heighted violence that not only surprised the others, but herself as well.

Dove’s felt her heart begin to pound out an erratic rhythm as she raised her hands up, “I-I swear I checked, three, four times?”

“Mom-” Malik tried to ease but Vittoria held him close to her as the scene unfolded.

The way Nayeli marched towards her, Dove was sure at the very least, she was about to get socked in the face. At the very worst, she was about to get socked in the face. Dove pinched her eyes closed, hearing Thomas trying to calm Nayeli, meanwhile she instinctively tried to use her hands to defend herself from the impending beating that she expected. Mistakes were punished severely under her mother’s rule. Dove had been conditioned to anticipate the very worst, no matter the severity of the mistake. There was no hitting though. There was only the most gentle feeling of hands grasping hers and slowly lowering them. Dove hesitantly opened her eyes, seeing Nayeli standing cooly before her.

“I am sorry for yelling.” Nayeli spoke softly, “I just got Malik back so I am- I am a bit high strung at the moment.” 

Nayeli continued to hold Dove’s hands. It was a simple gesture, but Dove could not help but feel her stomach begin to knot as emotions began to flood her being. Around them, Rush and the others looked on in awe. To see Nayeli expressing such gratitude to the girl who had nearly single handedly tore her family apart. 

“I realize that without you were at the mercy of the Twins all those years ago.” She suddenly began to laugh, the way one does when on the verge of tears, “And it has taken me the last two and a half hours of my bottom going numb during this flight to realize  I would not have anything left if it wasn’t for you.”

Dove tried to contain herself as Nayeli’s words soaked in. She was at a loss as to what Nayeli was trying to convey. She refused to believe that she was thanking her because frankly, Dove felt as though she had done nothing at all. Nayeli Lamb saw otherwise, and leaned in, embracing her in a hug that was otherworldly. It was warm and maternal. It was forgiving and loving.

As much as Dove wanted to reciprocate, all she could do was freeze. Her body began to tremble as her face scrunched up. She felt her mouth open, gritting her teeth as she began to cry. She was sure she was making some god awful noise as she suddenly sunk to her knees, but no sound made it to her ears. She could only the tender touch of Nayeli falling to the ground with her. Everything she had bottled up, all the years under the heel of her mother, the torment, the pain, it all came flushing out in one swift cry. Was this what it felt like to just let go of everything? To be shown the most basic form of forgiveness?

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for everything-” Dove lamented.

“You don’t have to worry anymore.” Nayeli assured, her voice shaking as equally as Doves, “You’re with us now. No matter what happens.”

Dove felt another pair of hands around her. Turning her head, she saw Malik’s fluff of hair nuzzled against her. 

“You’re family.” he spoke proudly.

"Oh." Vittoria sounded semi-hesitant, "We're doing the hug thing?"

Thomas' chuckle was loudly audible, "We're doing the hug thing."

Vittoria and Rush followed suite, well, tried. Vittoria nearly fell over leaning down to hug, causing Rush to catch her. They all shared a good laugh, and for a moment, Dove realized why Mai fought so hard to protect this. To return home to this. Hopefully, Dove may be able to return with them. Return to a home she never knew existed. To a family she never knew she had.


	25. Chapter 25

Darkness loomed over the traveling party as they navigated the thick swampland. After flying for five hours it was a relief to be using his legs again but Thomas would have opted to dry lands over this. He carried a sleeping Malik atop of his back, the boy’s head resting up his shoulder with a gentle snore. Thomas smiled, recalling the way Mai snored in a similar fashion. His heart ached with both anxiety and trepidation as they drew closer to the capital. What condition would she be in? Would she even survive the trek back to Hope County? How were they all going to fit into the aircraft with two additional bodies? All these questions were of course dependent on the outcome of what was sure to be a grand confrontation. They came to the edge of where the forest ended, a hundred meters from where Raven’s infamous moat began. The city was dark but there was a certain part of it that illuminated brighter than the moon itself. 

“That’s a good sign.” Dove said, pointing at the illuminated portion, “That light is coming from the arena. If Mai’s alive, she’ll be there. Which means security on the walls will be scarce. My mother is probably demonstrating her power for the other Highwaymen leaders which means her previous showing to her investors went well.”

“I thought all the Highwaymen leaders were dead?” Vittoria asked.

“In this case, I use the term leaders loosely.” Dove replied.

The group gathered together into a circle. Thomas reviewed how much ammunition they had as Dove explained the layout of the city to Nayeli and Vittoria. With the ammo they had brought, they could take on an outpost’s worth of Highwaymen, but not the entire city if things went sideways. Malik sat by idly, playing with blades of grass, unaware of the danger that lied ahead of them. Out of the group, Nayeli seemed uncharacteristically calm. She calmly thumbed at the walkman player in her possession. When Dove finished speaking, she peeked her head up.

“Thomas and Vittoria will take care of the guards on the wall. Dove, stay with Malik and keep La Grosse Patate on standby. Thomas will have the radio on hand when we need you to come in. I’ll handle the Highwaymen in the arena.”

The group each looked at one another cautiously - wondering who would be the first to check her sanity. Vittoria stepped forward, placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“Nayeli” Vittoria eased, “I understand your urgency, but we have got to stick together.”

“Vittoria, you of all people know me best. Let me do this.”

Nayeli said it with a notion to the player in her hand. Vittoria and the others looked down at it, curious as to its importance. Nayeli smiled sympathetically, opening the player and revealing what was inside. Within the player was a cassette entitled _The Platters_. An echo of times past.

“What is that?” Dove asked peering over Vittoria’s shoulder. 

Nayeli looked up with a glisten in her eye, “Jacob’s greatest regret.”

\-----

The problem with being unstoppable, was that it became quite a bore. Tonight would become the night that the Raven rolled out her newest investment all over the country. The Highwaymen would wage their internal war and she would be their supplier for their mass destruction. To avoid any suspicion, she would package her _gifts_ with a handful of viable blood amongst a stock of placebos. The disclaimer was that not all would be worthy to receive this gift, but for those chosen few, they would be unstoppable. Or so they would like to believe. Raven would never allow them to come anywhere near her source of power but she had to make sure to sell these idiots on the sole idea that they too could have what she had. She would be off limits to their petty wars and once they wiped eachother out she would come and pick up the pieces. 

Ramona King watched as her newest investment battled down below from the safety of her luxury box. The arena had once been a theatre-like area where guests could come and watch various shows. Children and the parents likely once filled the now sparse spaces. In this day and age, the rows were now filled with the lowliest ranks of Highwaymen up to their most fiercest, wanting their chance to show their worth against the one whose blood Raven had promised would lead them into victory. The girl Mai was a hurricane in the arena, tearing apart one Highwayman thug after another. There was no moment to pause - it was a continuous onslaught of goons hoping to show a flaw in Ramona’s grand endeavor. 

There was a ferocious desperation in the way she moved. It looked as though she was trying to exert herself to the point of death but as with everything else in life, it was just out of her reach. She could just as easily allow herself to fall victim to the blows that asundered her, but there was no honor in that. Should need be, there was a full medical staff waiting at the beckon of their leader to resuscitate the girl. Raven smirked as the fiery woman downed the last opponent. 

_You can’t escape from me that easily little one._

There appeared to be no more opponents willing to try their hand at the prisoner. The arena was littered with bodies and the woman sunk to her knees, her hands clasped around her head as though a migraine had struck her at the most inopportune time. The other Highwaymen however seemed pleased with what they saw, immediately jumping up and clamoring at Raven, asking her price. The price to have the power of a monster on their side. She looked to Buck, still looking a bit sour from earlier but he winked at her, signaling that their earlier grievances had passed. He knew better - especially if he wanted a cut of whatever she was getting.

“Ladies and degenerates - my pricing is simple. A dozen vials of that beast’s blood for the modest sum of twenty-drums of ethanol.”

“That’s ridiculous!” one imposter leader shouted, “How do we know you’re not swindling us?”

Raven feigned the look of a woman heavily insulted, “Swindle? I am a business woman of the highest caliber. But allow me to put your anxieties to rest.”

The Highwayman Queen gestured to one of her Enforcers that shared the small space with them.

“My boy here has ingested some of that product. Allow him to show you first hand.”

The other Highwaymen separated from the one who had spoke out against The Raven. The Enforcer’s hand shot out, clutching the idiot’s neck, lifting up, up, up…

There was a subtle crack and the Highwayman’s head went limp, dropping to the floor like a meat sack filled with bones. Ramona began to slowly clap, chuckling before letting out a relieved sigh.

“Anyone else?”

The bids started to come in like a flood after that, as if they needed any more convincing. Buck watched eagerly, hearing bids as high as forty-drums. He bit his lip, eager to see what his split would be considering he had been one of her closest business partners. As Ramona began the bargaining, Buck noticed a mousy looking woman standing at the entryway to the viewing box. From her whitecoat he deciphered she was one of Ramona’s medical specialists though her presence here was quite out of the blue.

“Ms. King.” she feebly announced, holding her hand up, hoping to catch the Raven’s attention., “Ms. King.”

Buck stepped towards the woman, his hands raised and prepared to push her back out.

“Your Queen is busy sheila - what is it?”

The woman didn’t skip a beat, “The blood. Enforcers are dropping like flies- there’s a side effect…”

“Yeah yeah yeah, we ran over the logistics already.” he brushed her off pushing her out with a hard shove, “Buh-bye now.”

Buck shut the door in her face, looking back at Raven and the others. He continued to smirk as he slithered about in the background. As soon as these idiots flooded out of here, he could address Raven as to his payment. He leaned against one of the viewing boxes walls, looking down at the real prize down below. Mai was still on her knees. A few brave grunts had gotten up the courage to go down, poking at her, exchanging laughs and insults. He made a mental note in his head to have her get on her knees later for him. 

Buck ducked his head for a moment to reach for a flash hidden away in his back pocket. Head tilted bag, he took a swig, sighing with satisfaction as he looked back down. The scene had shifted. A new figure had entered the scene. The Highwaymen grunts were shouting but quickly silenced by arrows to the throat sailing from the hand of a masked assailant. Buck nearly spat out the liquid - choking as he tried to form some words of alert. 

“Fucking hell-”

He turned to Raven who saw his sudden shift of demeanor. She immediately pushed away the other Highwaymen as she followed his jumbled words, directing her to look down. Already chaos began to ensue as more Highwaymen began flooding the arena floor, looking to take down this faceless individual. They moved with the same ferocity and brutality that Mai had displayed, keeping back the goons from going anywhere near the weakened red-head. Such an embarrassment normally would not have been handled so lightly by Ramona King, however in this case, her lips curled to a pleasantly surprised smile. She began to erupt into laughter as she clapped her hands.

“Oh, this is too good. There’s more of you.” she sneered with a long drawl. She turned to Buck, motioning for him to get a move on, “Well? Go down there and earn your keep!” 

Buck stared back with a minor look of disdain, hanging his head low as he made his exit. Raven sat back down, kicking her feet up as she peered down below with an amused smile. This would only take a matter of moments but she wanted to relish knowing that even with this new contender, she would still reign supreme.


End file.
